The New York Yankees want to end their World Series drought that dates back to 2009. To do so, they’ll have to advance at least one series without Aaron Judge.
The 6-foot-7 superstar cannot take part in the American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
For the Yanks to win the championship, they’ll have to win four separate series, so there’s still time for Judge to play a part.
But at least at first, the Yankees don’t have him.
That means the Yanks are relying on Heliot Ramos to come through in right field and in the heart of the order.
But it also means the Yankees are going to have to find some motivation to win this series for Judge, to allow him a chance to return before New York’s season ends.
Why Isn’t Aaron Judge Playing Tonight?
Judge isn’t playing on Tuesday, and won’t be playing throughout the entire Wild Card Series, due to injury.
He has a “moderate strain of the soleus muscle in his right calf,” according to MLB.com.
The Yankees had a tough decision to make before the Wild Card Series began, because teams have to decide on an official 26-man roster for each series.
The Yanks left Judge off the roster for this best-of-three series against the Boston Red Sox. That means he won’t be eligible to appear in this clash and will have to wait for the Divisional Series.
“I’ve been out for most of the year, and this team has picked up the slack,” Judge said recently, via MLB.com. “A lot of young guys that we called up stepped right in and filled some huge holes for us… The boys are going to be fine no matter what, but I’d love to be out there with them.”
When is Aaron Judge Coming Back?
It’s not yet clear exactly when Judge is coming back, but it won’t be at least until the weekend.
The American League Divisional Series begins on Saturday, and that’s the first time Judge could potentially play.
He’d have to be added to the roster for the ALDS, of course, but he can’t play sooner because he simply isn’t on the Wild Card Series roster at all.
According to the aforementioned story on MLB.com, Judge’s injury has a usual recovery timeline of three weeks. He would beat that timeline if he returned to play this weekend.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes:
“Judge performed indoor hitting and throwing on Sunday, and had four plate appearances in live BP on Monday, producing two walks, a strikeout looking and a ground ball back to the mound… Any progress in the running department would have provided a clearer indication of what Judge might have been able to provide. He had been running on an anti-gravity treadmill, but hadn’t attempt running outdoors, let alone cutting on the basepaths. Judge did not run on the field during Monday’s workout.”
Yankees fans, and Judge, will just have to hope the guys in pinstripes take care of business against Boston. If they don’t, Judge’s season will have already ended.
Why Aaron Judge Isn’t Playing Tonight for Yankees With Potential Return Timeline