The clock is ticking on the New York Yankees to make a final decision on Aaron Judge’s status for the MLB playoff roster ahead of the team’s Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has until the morning of Tuesday, September 29, to make a final decision on Judge’s status.
There is still time for things to change, but Judge is widely projected to be left off the roster for the Yankees-Red Sox series. Sports Illustrated’s Michael Zeno released an early projection for the Wild Card roster and predicts that Judge will not be included.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch also predicts the “odds are against” Judge being ready for the Wild Card series.
As the Yankees prepare to take on the Red Sox, the roster decision could come down to Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. It is Stanton not Judge who Zeno predicts to get the nod.
“I do not think Judge will be ready for the Wild Card Series,” Zeno wrote in a September 27, 2026, story titled, “Projecting the Yankees’ Playoff Roster for the Wild Card Series.” “In my mind, he only provides surplus value to this team, when you factor in who he’d be displacing and the real possibility of rust, when he can physically play right field again. If he can’t play right field without risking blowing out his Achilles, he shouldn’t be on the roster.
“Granted, I’d be more willing to roster him if there wasn’t another hulking slugger who seems to be ready to take on a pinch-hitting role in the postseason,” Zeno added.
“Whether or not he’s physically ready to play in major league games, it seems that Stanton will be back, and having both he and Judge would be a bit redundant considering what both would be limited to.”
Yankees News: Aaron Judge & Aaron Boone at Odds Over the Star’s Spot on Playoff Roster
To recap, there has been a disconnect on the star’s potential return timeline between Judge and Boone. The Yankees manager indicated that Judge would not be ready for the Wild Card series.
Judge later came out and contradicted the manager’s comments.
“I don’t want to get too much into that [conversation with Judge],” Boone said of Judge’s comments, per Yahoo Sports. “At the end of the day, we’re all in this together.
“And in his case, trying to get him right and get him healthy so he can be an option for us here at some point.”
Aaron Judge Previously Indicated Plans to Play in Yankees’ Wild Card Series
It will be interesting to see what Boone decides on Judge’s status. If Judge is left off the Wild Card roster, the slugger will need the Yankees to advance in order to play in the upcoming postseason.
Judge indicated his plans to be ready for the Wild Card series and not as a designated hitter. This does not mean that is the decision that Boone will make.
“The Bronx is a magical place in October,” Judge noted on September 23, per MLB.com. “I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.
“… I want to come back and be ready to play the field because I think that gives us the best lineup. I’m a right fielder. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Aaron Judge Dealt Unfortunate News Days Before Yankees-Red Sox Playoff Series