The Yankees will head into battle against the Red Sox without the two-time reigning MVP. Aaron Judge will not be on New York’s roster for the Wild Card round, as first reported by Jack Curry of YES Network. The outfielder is dealing with a calf strain. Judge will have to wait until the ALDS to join the squad, if the Yankees make it there.
New York will likely slot Cody Bellinger, Heliot Ramos, and Spencer Jones into the outfield. Ben Rice will handle DH. It’s a familiar setup for the Yankees, as they’ve been without Judge for most of the past four months.
Judge went down with what manager Aaron Boone described as a “moderate” calf strain, though the outfielder later bristled at that characterization. He received a platelet-poor plasma injection last week. Judge had maintained that he’d be ready for the Wild Card round.
“Everybody’s moderate is a little different,” Judge said, relayed by Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “Your moderate is a little different than my moderate, so on and so on. So, I don’t know why he used those words. But, like I said, I’m trying to get back as soon as I can.”
While Judge fell short of the roster, the Yankees are getting two injured bats back. Giancarlo Stanton will be with the club for the Wild Card round, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Trent Grisham has also made the roster, Morosi relays. Stanton has been sidelined since late April with a calf strain. He was moved to the 60-day IL near the end of August. Grisham went down with a hamstring injury in early September.
Stanton’s initial recovery from a calf strain was slowed by additional calf injuries. He tweaked the right one in June, then strained the left one in August. It marked the second straight season ruined by injuries. Stanton was limited to 77 games in 2025 due to elbow issues.
Stanton has played 24 games this season. He slashed a modest .256/.302/.422 with three homers in 96 plate appearances. Having Stanton back in the mix will give a lefty-heavy lineup a right-handed option against Boston’s southpaws. The Red Sox will start Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Ranger Suarez in Game 3 (if necessary).
Grisham strained his hamstring in the first week of September. He’d been the everyday center fielder prior to the injury. Grisham has hit just .211 this year, but it’s come with 18 homers and nine steals.
For the second straight season, Grisham has struggled with the glove. He’s posted -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 119 games in center field. He was at -11 DRS in 2025. Jones hasn’t been much better out there (-4 DRS), but he’s been productive at the plate. The rookie actually has better numbers against left-handed pitching, which could keep him in the lineup. Ramos could get squeezed out when the Yankees face a righty. Sonny Gray is in line to start Game 2.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
