The New York Yankees made a final decision on whether Aaron Judge will play against the Boston Red Sox. Not only is Judge not playing in today’s Game 1 matchup against the Red Sox, but Judge was left off the Wild Card roster.
This means Judge will not be eligible to play at all during the Wild Card series against Boston. Despite Judge urging the Yankees to play against the Red Sox, the club opted to give the slugger more time to recover.
Judge is recovering from a soleus strain in his right calf.
The decision is not permanent as the Yankees will once again set a roster for the ALDS if the team advances. First, New York will need to top Boston in the Wild Card series.
If the Yankees fail to advance, Judge will not play at all this postseason.
Here’s what you need to know about Judge’s injury and playing status for the MLB playoffs.
Aaron Judge’s Injury: Yankees Denied Star’s Push to Play vs. Red Sox in Wild Card Series
Leading up to the Wild Card roster announcement, there had been a disconnect between Judge and manager Aaron Boone. The Yankees manager hinted that Judge would not be playing in the Wild Card series, while the star insisted he would be ready to play.
“I’ve been doing a lot of convincing, I feel like, so I’m going to keep doing that,” Judge noted on the eve of the Yankees’ roster announcement, per Associated Press.
“The most important thing is just making sure I’m healthy and ready to go for this long stretch. We’ve got another month of baseball to play.”
Aaron Judge & Yankees Manager Aaron Boone Had Disagreement on Playing Status for MLB Playoffs
Judge will spend the Wild Card series continuing to rehab with hopes of potentially playing in the ALDS if New York is able to advance, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. The slugger previously pushed back on Boone describing his injury as “moderate.”
“Everybody’s ‘moderate’ is a little different,” Judge previously stated, per The Athletic. “I think your moderate is a little different than my moderate, and so on and so on.
“So I don’t know why he used those words, but I’m trying to come back as soon as I can.”
Yankees News: Aaron Judge Preparing to Potentially Play in the ALDS
If the Yankees are able to defeat the Red Sox in the Wild Card series, New York would face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, but the question is whether Judge would be in the lineup.
“The biggest thing is just understanding how short I get,” Judge noted ahead of MLB playoffs, per Boston.com. “The time I get to be a Yankee and play this game of baseball is a very short window.
“Ten years have gone by since I debuted out here. Time flies and I just think about that more than thinking about age,” Judge added.
“I feel like I’ll still be a good baseball player at 45. So, yeah, it’s more just, your window to play this game is short so you don’t want to miss an opportunity.”
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