If Aaron Judge is going to play a postseason game for the Yankees this year, they are at least going to have to beat the Red Sox without him.
The Yankees left their captain off the AL wild-card series roster that they submitted to the league office Tuesday morning, his late push not enough for the team to feel comfortable taking the risk of playing him less than two weeks removed from suffering a right calf strain.
Judge was trying to talk his way onto the roster and then surprisingly took live batting practice Monday night during the Yankees’ workout in The Bronx. But in the end, the Yankees erred on the side of caution and will try again to see if they can get him back in time for the ALDS against the Rays, if they can get past the Red Sox.
Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham and Ryan Weathers, meanwhile, all made the roster straight off the injured list after making it back from their respective injuries.
Stanton is expected to be a pinch hitter — his right-handed threat taking on even more importance without Judge against the Red Sox’ horde of lefties — after missing five months with three separate calf strains.
Grisham should return from his hamstring strain as a fourth outfielder who could start in center against right-hander Sonny Gray in Game 2, bumping Spencer Jones to right field. Otherwise, Jones has likely done enough to remain in center while Grisham could be a left-handed hitting option off the bench or a late-game defensive replacement.
And Weathers, who missed the final month of the regular season with a left forearm flexor strain, is coming back in a bullpen role, likely available for just one inning (and most likely not in Game 1 at all after throwing live batting practice on Monday).
But he gives the Yankees a power lefty in a bullpen that was running out of gas by the end of the season.
For the best-of-three series, the Yankees landed on 10 pitchers and 16 position players, the latter allowing Aaron Boone to be aggressive with how he uses his bench. Amed Rosario made the bench for the series.
