Aaron Boone, manager of the New York Yankees, explained his decision to leave Aaron Judge off the American League Division Series (ALDS) roster due to a strained right calf. Despite Judge’s desire to play, Boone determined that Judge was not fully ready for game action and needed more time to rehabilitate properly. The manager believes this approach will allow Judge to be at his best if the Yankees advance to the ALCS in nine days.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees, remains sidelined due to a moderate calf strain since September 16. Despite taking live batting practice and working out at the team's spring training facility in Tampa, Florida, he was excluded from the roster for the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting October 7. Dr. Drew Burdi warned that rushing back could exacerbate injuries to Judge’s hamstring or Achilles tendon. Manager Aaron Boone cited caution as key, stating Judge isn't quite ready yet but might be available later in potential series games at Yankee Stadium.
Written for “Aaron Judge Injury Uncertainty Yankees” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 6 other(s) covering the same event.
There were times on Friday, Aaron Boone admitted, when he thought that Aaron Judge was going to be on the Yankees’ ALDS roster.
asserted
Judge → be → roster
In all likelihood, it would have been just as a pinch hitter, possibly with a chance to be a full player later in the best-of-five series against the Rays if his right calf allowed.
uncertain
calf → allow → Rays
That was all part of the discussion when Boone sat down with Judge and director of sports medicine and rehab Mike Schuck in his office at Tropicana Field after Friday’s workout.
asserted
Boone → sit → workout
freeThe manager then asked for an hour to think it through even more before ultimately coming to the decision to leave Judge off the roster for the second straight round.
asserted
manager → ask → round
“In the end, I just feel like he’s not quite ready to do it,” Boone said Saturday in that same office before Game 1 of the ALDS.
asserted
Boone → feel → ALDS
“He wanted to be on and was willing to do anything, but I just felt like for us to win a World Series – and fully acknowledging with him, and I understand this, obviously there’s no guarantees.
asserted
I → want → this
“But for us to potentially have a [good] version of Aaron back, I feel like he needs this week to continue to hit, continue to ramp up the running and moving and all those things.
asserted
he → have → running
So it was very close for me … but I just felt like this was the right decision.”
asserted
this → feel → me
Judge, who has been doing everything in his power in the 17 days since he strained the right calf to get back as soon as possible, took the news “OK.”
asserted
he → do → news
“I think he’s disappointed, because I think he wants to be on, but I think he understands, too,” Boone said
And so the three-time MVP was back at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training home in Tampa, on Saturday morning to continue his buildup in hopes of joining the Yankees for the ALCS if they can get there without him.
Judge has taken multiple rounds of live batting practice over the last five days and started his outdoor running progression on Tuesday, a few hours before Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Red Sox, though he has still not advanced to running the bases.
asserted
he → think → bases
So despite making progress and looking better, it was still not enough to defy the odds and return this quickly.
asserted
it → make → odds
“The reality is he just hasn’t run a lot yet or started to move a lot,” Boone said.
asserted
Boone → run → lot
“It’s one thing to be able to go out there and manage.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
It’s another thing to do it [for] three hours.
asserted
It → ’ → hours
I just feel like that volume part of it would have been a real challenge.
asserted
part → feel → it
And if we kept him on [the roster] in Giancarlo [Stanton’s] role, in that pinch-hitting role, I feel like that would have stripped away the ability to have some really good days and be in a better position five, seven, nine days from now.
asserted
that → keep → position
The ALCS begins on October 12, nine days away from Saturday.
asserted
ALCS → begin → Saturday
The Yankees considered carrying Judge on the roster with the thought of not using him until later in the series, like once they got back to New York for Game 3 or 4, but opted against it.
“I just felt like we probably needed a little more time for that to be a realistic thing,” Boone said.
asserted
Boone → consider → time
Boone also indicated that the turf at Tropicana Field — which can be troublesome for players dealing with soft-tissue leg injuries — was not a major factor in leaving Judge off the roster.
asserted
which → indicate → roster
“If we were at home, he wouldn’t be playing right now,” Boone said.
asserted
Boone → play → home
“The turf always factors in, but it wasn’t in the immediate right now anyway.
asserted
it → factor → immediate
If he would have been on, it would have been in a pinch-hitting role only.”
asserted
it → hit → role
The Yankees withstood Judge’s absence in the wild-card series without a problem, crushing the Red Sox in a two-game sweep.
asserted
Yankees → withstand → sweep
But trying to take down the Rays without him may prove to be a more difficult task.
uncertain
trying → try → him
“It would be a blessing to have Aaron,” Spencer Jones said Saturday.
asserted
Jones → have → Aaron
“But at the same time, there’s games ahead that we’ve got to win with or without him.
asserted
we → ’ → him
I think we’re set up, in a way, in a good position to win with the guys we’ve got.”
asserted
we → think → guys
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