Aaron Judge Likely Out of Yankees' Wild Card Series — SkimNews
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- Aaron Judge is not expected on the Yankees' Wild Card Series roster as he recovers from a 'moderate' right calf strain, manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday ('We're planning on him not being a part of that')
- Judge received a PRP injection Monday and is shut down from all baseball activities; he has appeared in just 66 of New York's 155 games this season
- In his seven games back from a fractured top right rib that sidelined him over three months, Judge went 4 for 23 (.174) with one walk and 13 strikeouts before re-injuring himself last Wednesday
- Trent Grisham is also out with a hamstring strain, forcing rookie Spencer Jones into center field and trade-deadline pickup Heliot Ramos into right field alongside everyday left fielder Cody Bellinger
- Without Judge's right-handed bat, the projected Yankees postseason lineup features eight left-handed or switch hitters — a glaring problem given the likely Wild Card opponent Red Sox deploy a lefty-heavy pitching staff
- Ramos has gone 9 for 34 (.265) with three home runs and seven walks over his last 12 games, including two homers against right-handed pitchers this past weekend as he adjusts to a platoon role
Why it matters: The Yankees' likely Wild Card opponent, Boston, features a lefty-heavy pitching staff — and Boone's replacement lineup without Judge is also overwhelmingly left-handed, stripping away the righty power bat they need most. Judge has played just 66 of 155 games this season and batted .174 with 13 strikeouts in his brief return from a rib fracture, leaving his postseason effectiveness in serious doubt even if he does return.
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