ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Four days were not enough for Aaron Judge.
The Yankees’ three-time MVP will be left off their ALDS roster Saturday, despite his continued progress from a moderate right calf strain this week after he was also missing from their AL wild-card series roster.
The team has not yet unveiled its full roster.
Judge took batting practice at Tropicana Field on Friday and faced live pitching on at least three of the last five days, in an attempt to get back in time to help the Yankees take on the Rays.
But once again, the Yankees deemed that he was not yet ready to return, just two and a half weeks after sustaining the calf injury.
The Yankees withstood Judge’s absence in the wild-card series without a problem, crushing the Red Sox in a two-game sweep.
But trying to take down the Rays without him may prove to be a more difficult task, though doing so would give him a chance to return for the ALCS.
As of Friday, Judge had yet to run the bases, though he started a running progression on Tuesday, shortly before Game 1 against the Red Sox.
Aaron Boone had left the door open for the Yankees to carry Judge even if he was not a full player until later in the series — likely Game 3 back at Yankee Stadium, away from the troubling turf at Tropicana Field — but in the end, they erred on the side of caution once again.
