Judge Off Yankees Wild Card Roster; Stanton Returns as Pinch-Hit — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Aaron Judge was left off the Yankees' Wild Card Series roster against the Red Sox, remaining on the injured list since Sept. 16 with a calf strain
- Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday "I don't think he's all the way back," noting the extra rest could make Judge available for the next round if New York advances
- Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the Wild Card roster but will be available strictly as a pinch-hitter after being sidelined since late April with his own calf strain
- Stanton is MLB's active career home run leader with 456 across 17 seasons and owns 18 postseason homers in 48 playoff games — seven coming during the 2024 pennant run
- Judge posted a 140 OPS+ in 2026, and the Yankees went 41-25 (.621) with him in the starting lineup versus 52-43 (.547) when he's absent
- Stanton appeared in just 24 regular-season games with three home runs in 90 at-bats, but his right-handed power profiles well against Boston's heavily left-handed rotation
Why it matters: The Yankees must survive a win-or-go-home series against a division rival without their best hitter, dropping to a .547 winning percentage without Judge versus .621 with him. Stanton's right-handed bat is the counterpunch against Boston's lefty-heavy rotation, but he's a 37-year-old who played only 24 games this season and is limited to pinch-hitting duty.
Ask SkimNews
