The New York Yankees handily won their Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, sweeping their rivals 18-2 in the split-game. They did so without the biggest name and best player, three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, and now they are trying to do the same in the American League Division Series.
The Yankees will not have their leader for the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays, starting Saturday at Tropicana Field. Judge is not on New York’s roster, the team announced Saturday morning before their 6:30 p.m. game. Judge, 34, was on the injured list Sept. 16. with a golden calf.
The only change from Rosario’s Wild Card Series was the removal of infielder Amed Rosario and the addition of reliever Ryan Weathers.
“Ultimately, I obviously decided it was best to keep him,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Saturday. “Again, I feel like he’s getting close, but I feel like we can get the version of Aaron back and win the World Series, I feel like this week is going to be tough for him to continue to work hard.
“The race has already started. Now it’s been two days. So I’m thinking of doing a few more days and building some patience, which I think is important. We understand that we’re not guaranteed anything. We’re not playing well, we’re home next week and we won’t get it.”
Unlike in regular time, when players can be added at his will, the Referee cannot substitute another player in this round, barring injury. If the Yankees read themselves and find that he cannot play, remove him, the ALCS also invalidates him, as a player on the injury replacement number, as a rule, must be left on the roster in the next round. A forced return could now lead to the Judge being absent most of the time.
“In the end, it felt like the best opportunity to get us, it was a good version of Aaron again, another five, six, seven days of really building his career, building endurance, getting to bats, taking BP every day,” Boone said on Saturday.
Furthermore, if Judge were to serve as the designated hitter instead of playing right field in the ALDS, that would force Luis García Ir to the bench with Ben Rice playing first base. García has been productive since the Yankees landed him before the fateful trade, and he was 3 for 5 with a home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.
Judge was sidelined for most of the 2026 regular season because of what was initially described as a bruise on his right ribcage that also affected his right shoulder. He returned in September, but could only play seven games before suffering a leg injury. As it turned out, the Yankees were tossing the latest right calf injury.
In those seven games after returning from the injured list, without a minor-league rehab assignment, Judge was 4 for 23 (.174) with 13 strikeouts, though he did hit a home run in the sixth game.
In total this season, Judge appeared in 66 games, hitting .241/.360/.511 (.140 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 18 home runs, 41 RBI, 45 runs and a 1.9 WAR. The Yankees were 41-25 in games Judge started this season and are now 54-43 in playoff games.
The Rays had the best record in the AL this season at 98-64 and won the AL East by 4½ games over New York. The Rays won the regular season series over the Yankees, 7-6.