The New York Yankees breezed through their Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, decisively outscoring them 18-2 in two games. Notably, they achieved this without their star player and team captain, three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge. As they head into the American League Division Series (ALDS), the Yankees will continue without Judge, who remains sidelined with a calf strain and is not included on the ALDS roster for their upcoming series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, starting Saturday evening.
The only roster modification from the Wild Card Series is the replacement of infielder Amed Rosario with reliever Ryan Weathers. Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted on Friday that Judge was working out and hitting live in preparation, but the decision to keep him off the roster was made to prevent risking further injury. Unlike the regular season, rosters are fixed during this playoff round, and activating Judge prematurely could jeopardize his availability for the potential ALCS, as players removed due to injury cannot return in the next round.
If Judge had been included as the designated hitter, it would have displaced Luis García Jr., who has shown strong performance since joining the Yankees, highlighted by his home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Judge’s season was largely derailed by a bone bruise in his right ribcage and shoulder, followed by the calf strain that shut him down in mid-September. In his limited post-injury play, Judge struggled at the plate, batting .174 with 13 strikeouts over seven games before the calf issue resurfaced.
Overall, Judge played in 66 games this season, batting .241 with a .360 on-base percentage and a .511 slugging percentage, adding 10 doubles, 18 home runs, and 41 RBIs. The Yankees performed well in games he started, posting a 41-25 record during the regular season and a 54-43 mark including playoffs. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays earned the top record in the American League this year at 98-64, clinching the AL East by 4½ games over New York and winning the season series against the Yankees 7-6.
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Fan Take: This news is pivotal for baseball enthusiasts as it underscores the importance of depth and strategy over reliance on a single superstar during high-stakes playoff baseball. The Yankees’ ability to compete without Aaron Judge speaks volumes about the team’s resilience and could signal a shift toward more balanced rosters driving postseason success in the future.
Source: www.cbssports.com
