The Boston Red Sox are almost certainly headed to Yankee Stadium next week for the Wild Card Series. The matchup has felt inevitable for weeks. Boston and New York, October baseball, best of three, everything on the line.
One of the biggest variables that remains is whether Aaron Judge will be in the Yankees lineup.
On Wednesday, Judge made his position clear. He is not conceding anything.
Judge Pushes Back
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that he was “not expecting” Judge to be available for the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox. He called the right calf strain “moderate,” the kind of language that typically signals a multi-week absence.
Judge heard all of it. He did not agree with the framing.
“Everybody’s moderate is a little different,” Judge said after Wednesday’s 9-2 win over the Rays. “I don’t know why he used those words.”
When asked directly if he would be back for the series, Judge did not hesitate.
“If you ask if I’m gonna be back, I’m gonna say, ‘Yeah,'” Judge said. “My goal is to come back as soon as I can. If he said I’m not gonna be ready, I’ve got no control over that. I’ve got control over what I can do.”
The strain is in the soleus muscle, which Judge noted is essential for both running and hitting. He received a platelet-poor plasma injection on Monday and said he felt better Wednesday. He confirmed he would not be activated for the regular season but is targeting Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
“We’re doing everything in our power to speed this process up,” Judge said. “If it happened in May, I think maybe the timeline’s a little different.”
What It Means for the Red Sox
The Red Sox have spent the last month preparing for a trip to the Bronx. The pitching staff is built for a low-scoring series. Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suarez give Boston three starters capable of keeping games tight against any lineup in baseball.
A Yankees lineup without Judge is a fundamentally different challenge than one with him. The numbers make that plain. New York went 41-25 when he played and 49-42 when he did not.
Final Word for the Red Sox
“The Bronx is a magical place in October,” Judge said. “I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.”
If Judge is not there, Boston’s path gets easier. If he is, the Red Sox will need their pitching to be at its absolute best.
Either way, the series just got more interesting. Judge is not going quietly.
Red Sox Get Notable Aaron Judge News Ahead of Potential Yankees Series