A former New York Yankees manager has revealed a potential plan for Aaron Judge heading into the ALDS.
The New York Yankees were able to complete a two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox without Aaron Judge, but in order to make a World Series run, you can bet they'll need their captain back in the lineup.
But when could that happen?
Judge suffered a calf strain on Sept. 16, an injury that was ruled "moderate." The injury also occurred in the soleus muscle, which is connected to the Achilles tendon. Understandably, the Yankees are being extra cautious.
Just over two weeks have passed since Judge was first injured, and typically, moderate strains can take a month-and-a-half to two months to heal.
New York doesn't have that much time.
So could Judge actually return as soon as the Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays?
The Yankees will open up Game 1 of the ALDS this Saturday, and considering Judge hasn't even run the bases yet, a return in the opener seems slim to none.
However, former New York manager Joe Girardi has proposed a scenario in which the Yanks could put Judge on the ALDS roster, sit him for the first couple of games and then potentially play him later on in the series.
The Yankees did something similar with Giancarlo Stanton in the Wild Card Series. Stanton was healthy enough to make the roster, but New York didn't actually have to use him as it outscored the Red Sox 18-2 over the course of the two-game sweep.
Of course, that concept becomes a bit riskier over the course of a longer series where you might need some more pitching.
Unlike the Wild Card Series, which is a best-of-3, the Division Series is a best-of-5, so the Yankees have to be careful in how they go about constructing their roster.
Stanton will certainly be on the roster again. He has been transitioned into a pinch-hitting role for New York for his lethal October bat alone. So can the Yankees find room for Judge?
In the Wild Card Series, New York employed 16 position players and 10 pitchers. It remains to be seen how Aaron Boone goes about allocating his 26-man group for the ALDS, but there is absolutely a chance he features more pitching.
One thing is for sure: even if Judge does play, he won't be in right field. He would DH, which would move Ben Rice into a full-time role at first base and send Luis Garcia Jr. to the bench. Not a bad bat to have off the pine.
All that being said, we'll see what Boone ultimately decides ahead of Game 1. If he feels Judge isn't even close, he might not even put him on the roster.
