Aaron Judge Out as Yankees Turn to $325M Pro for Crucial Clash vs. Rays

The New York Yankees enter their ALDS in Florida without their captain, forcing a lineup reshuffle against Tampa Bay. The Yankees are coming off a Wild Card series sweep against the Red Sox, and after that performance, the team has decided to continue without their captain and let him recover. And the Yankees have chosen a $325 million star over Aaron Judge.

According to Jon Heyman, “Giancarlo Stanton made the Yankees roster vs. the Rays. Aaron Judge did not make it.”

This is a big call because Judge has never missed a postseason game since 2017.

The New York Yankees will enter the ALDS without Aaron Judge, as his calf injury continues to delay his return. Judge suffered a right soleus strain on September 16, just 7 games after returning from his rib injury. He has started running and taking live batting practice but has not yet run the bases.

But Aaron Boone explained that Judge does not necessarily need to run the bases before returning. 

“No, sometimes running the bases, they replicate things in other ways,” Boone noted Friday. “The trainers will obviously play a big part in this. As the day unfolds, we’ll see where we’re at and what it potentially looks like for the series.”

The Yankees and Aaron Boone finally prioritized Judge’s recovery over risking a setback during the ALDS, which could ruin their entire postseason.

While Judge remains outside the roster, Giancarlo Stanton gives New York another experienced postseason bat, who originally signed a 13-year, $325 million deal with the Miami Marlins in November 20154 before being traded to the Yankees in December 2017.

Stanton’s own calf-injury saga – three separate strains since April – makes his roster inclusion a calculated gamble. He was active against Boston but never received an at-bat.

After joining the roster, Stanton believes he can have a big impact.

“I’m ready to help the team any way I can. … That’s all really I got to say about that,” noted Stanton.

And Stanton’s postseason record gives Yankees fans a reason to be calm.

Stanton’s postseason pedigree (.926 OPS, 18 homers, 44 RBIs in 48 games) outpaces Judge’s (.822 OPS, 17 homers, 41 RBIs in 65 games), a gap the Yankees are banking on.

The Yankees also scored 18 runs across 2 Wild Card games against the Red Sox without Judge. That production shows that this lineup can do damage even without its biggest bat.

The Rays will be a tougher test, and Tampa Bay will come into this ALDS with a 3-2 head-to-head in the postseason. But Stanton gives New York an October option without Judge. Stanton also understands what this opportunity means:

“If there’s any time to erase a bad year, it’s in October.”

For now, Yankees fans will wait for Judge while watching to see if Stanton can add to this already firing lineup.

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