Aaron Judge left off Yankees’ ALDS roster as calf injury lingers

The New York Yankees will open the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays without Aaron Judge. The three-time AL MVP was not included on the Yankees’ ALDS roster, which the club released Saturday morning ahead of Game 1 at Tropicana Field. Judge, 34, has been on the injured list since Sept. 16 with a right calf strain.

New York advanced by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, outscoring its rival 18-2 over two games despite Judge’s absence. The Yankees now move into a longer series still without their captain, who has appeared in only seven games since returning from a separate injury in early September.

Boone weighs health and roster rules before ALDS

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters he ultimately decided it was in the team’s best interest to keep Judge off the roster for this round. Boone said he believes Judge is “getting close,” but emphasized that the coming days are important for Judge to continue running, building endurance and getting regular at-bats. Judge has recently resumed running and has been hitting for a couple of days, according to Boone.

Postseason roster rules were a major consideration. Unlike the regular season, teams cannot freely shuffle players on and off the roster within a round. If the Yankees had placed Judge on the ALDS roster and later removed him because of the injury, he would have been ineligible for the American League Championship Series. By waiting, the club avoids the risk of a setback that could cost him additional rounds if New York advances.

Boone indicated he wanted to give Judge another five to seven days of work to build up his running and stamina while continuing to take batting practice and accumulate plate appearances. The Yankees hope that schedule will put him in a better position to contribute later in October, though they must first get past Tampa Bay for those plans to matter.

Lineup ripple effects and Judge’s injury‑shortened season

Keeping Judge off the roster also affects how the Yankees structure their lineup. Using Judge strictly as a designated hitter in the ALDS would have pushed Luis García Jr. out of the regular alignment and moved Ben Rice to first base. García has been productive since New York acquired him before the trade deadline and went 3-for-5 with a home run in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.

The Yankees made only one personnel change from the Wild Card Series, swapping out infielder Amed Rosario for left-hander Ryan Weathers in the bullpen. They will lean on an extra reliever against a Rays club that finished with the American League’s best record at 98-64, won the AL East by 4.5 games over New York, and edged the Yankees 7-6 in the season series.

Judge’s 2026 campaign has been defined by injuries. He missed most of the year with what was initially described as a bone bruise in his right ribcage that also affected his right shoulder. When he returned in early September, he went straight to the majors without a minor-league rehab assignment and played seven games before suffering the lower leg issue later diagnosed as a right calf strain.

In those seven games after coming off the injured list, Judge went 4-for-23 (.174) with 13 strikeouts and one home run. Overall, he appeared in 66 games this season, batting .241/.360/.511 with 10 doubles, 18 homers, 41 RBI, 45 runs scored and 1.9 WAR. The Yankees went 41-25 when he started during the regular season and are 54-43 overall this year, including the postseason.