The New York Yankees are in the ALDS, and they’ll begin their best-of-five series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at Tropicana Field.
For New York, they made the bold decision Saturday morning when they submitted their 26-man roster, leaving superstar Aaron Judge off once again as he continues to rehab a calf strain.
The roster is almost identical to the one they used in the Wild Card Series, outside of adding left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers and removing infielder Amed Rosario.
Aaron Boone Explains Judge Decision
Prior to Game 1 of the series, Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained why the team left Judge off the roster, even though Judge has continued to plead that he wants to play.
Via Bryan Hoch, Boone said that “to win a World Series, I feel like this is important” for Judge to continue recovering, and ultimately, they saw the next 5-7 days as pivotal in terms of his rehab.
Aaron Boone said the Yankees decided not to put Aaron Judge on the ALDS roster because “to win a World Series, I feel like this week is important” for him to continue to recover.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 3, 2026
He noted that Judge is handling the news “ok,” but the Yankees’ decision clearly disappointed him.
“I think he’s disappointed because I think he wants to be on, but I think he understands too,” Boone said.
Kevin Cash Reacts to Yankees Leaving Judge Off Roster
Rays manager Kevin Cash, who praised Judge earlier this week, reacted before the game to the Yankees ultimately leaving the three-time MVP off the roster.
“I totally respect Aaron Judge and what he means to that team, but I also respect that MLB needs to see its best players playing on a stage like this. A certain disappointment with that,” Cash said. “But knowing that he’s not lurking on the bench or coming around hitting second or third is probably a benefit.”
New York Yankees Manager Explains Aaron Judge Roster Decision