Perhaps it's better to keep him off the roster, for now.
The New York Yankees will have their toughest test yet against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.
The Rays, who have arguably been not only the best team in the American League for much of the campaign, but also in all of Major League Baseball, always find ways to win.
While the Yankees are much more talented than the Rays in terms of payroll, on paper, and in other ways, this is not a series the Yankees are going to just walk away with. There's a reason why Tampa Bay won the division, and it is going to show that in this series.
Keeping everybody healthy for the Yankees is a top priority, but unfortunately, that doesn't look guaranteed.
For Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, it remains uncertain whether he'll play.
There's a lot of hope that Judge might eventually be activated in this series, but the latest reports suggest it will take time, if the Yankees decide to do so.
“Judge's status for the Yankees' AL Division Series matchup against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays remains up in the air and is unlikely to be decided until shortly before the series begins Saturday, sources familiar with the deliberations told ESPN.
"Some in the organization want him to play. Others, wary of him further aggravating the injury and imperiling him for the remainder of the postseason, would prefer to wait another week. Further complicating matters is the likelihood that Judge could be resigned to designated hitter duties, potentially taking at-bats from Luis Garcia Jr,” Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote.
There's unfortunately so much that has to happen for the Yankees over the next 24 hours for this to be a reality, and the biggest one is that even if Judge does return, there's going to be a big question about whether he's the same type of player that everybody expects him to be.
Regardless, the Yankees have to feel somewhat confident that he's going to be good to go, as Judge is the best hitter in Major League Baseball, and having him in the lineup, even if he's not fully healthy, completely changes the dynamic of this lineup.
