New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was slapped with some more bad news before the ALDS.
The New York Yankees are preparing to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series starting Saturday night, and all eyes were on whether or not Aaron Judge would be on the roster for the Yankees.
Well, we now know the answer.
New York has left Judge off the 26-man roster for the ALDS, which should not come as much of a surprise to anyone.
Judge suffered a calf strain back on Sept. 16, an injury that was deemed "moderate" by Aaron Boone. That generally means a six-to-eight week recovery. Not only that, but Judge's injury occurred in the soleus muscle, which is connected to the Achilles tendon.
The three-time AL MVP has been taking live batting practice, but he is yet to run the bases, which is typically a clear indication that a player is not ready.
It's also worth noting that if Judge did make the roster, he would likely be relegated to a DH role. That would mean Ben Rice would play first base in a full-time capacity and Luis Garcia Jr. would head to the bench, which New York absolutely does not want.
It seems hard to imagine the Yankees trusting a compromised Judge in right field at this point, so Judge's presence on the roster would actually make things more complicated.
There had been some speculation that New York could put Judge on the roster, sit him for the first couple of games and then bring him back later on in the series if necessary, but clearly, the Yankees did not want to waste a roster spot.
It's worth noting that Giancarlo Stanton is on the squad once again, meaning he will be available in a pinch-hitting role. Ryan Weathers was also an addition to the pitching staff after missing the Wild Card Series.
Amed Rosario — who started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox — was omitted from the roster entirely.
Judge missed over three months between June and September due to a rib stress fracture. He returned on Sept. 8 and went 4-for-23 with a home run and three RBI over 24 plate appearances before succumbing to the calf issue.
The 34-year-old slashed .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBI over 285 plate appearances during the regular season. His .871 OPS was his lowest mark since his debut in 2016, when he posted a .608 OPS in 27 games.
