The Aaron Judge ALDS status is settled for now. The New York Yankees left Judge off their 26-man roster for the division series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which opens Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
Judge has been sidelined since Sept. 16 with a moderate strain of the soleus muscle in his right calf. He also sat out the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Aaron Judge ALDS status: why he is off the roster
Judge was not able to run the bases as of Friday, according to reports. He took live batting practice and ran at the team’s spring training complex before hitting at Tropicana Field.
The Yankees can still add him later. By not rostering him now, they keep him eligible for the AL Championship Series if they advance. Manager Aaron Boone said the artificial turf at Tropicana Field factored in “a little bit,” ESPN reported.
“Saturday is a long ways away,” Judge said earlier in the week. “I’m doing everything I can” to be ready.
Roster moves and Game 1
New York added left-hander Ryan Weathers and dropped utility player Amed Rosario from its Wild Card roster. Giancarlo Stanton is active, and Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt give Boone other designated hitter options.
Gerrit Cole will start Game 1 against Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT.
How the Yankees got here without Judge
The Yankees swept Boston by outscoring the Red Sox 18-2 over two games. Read our recaps of the 9-0 opener and the 9-2 clincher, or the full series breakdown.
Boston managed only seven hits in the series. Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer in Game 2, and Spencer Jones took extra bases with aggressive baserunning during a six-run sixth inning.
What’s next
The Yankees and Rays play the best-of-five series. The Aaron Judge ALDS status could change in the ALCS, if New York gets there.
