The Yankees will enter the Wild Card round without Aaron Judge, leaving their lineup to navigate the Red Sox without the two-time reigning MVP.
Judge is not on New York’s roster for the opening round, according to Jack Curry of YES Network, after dealing with a calf strain. If the Yankees advance, he would be eligible to return for the ALDS.
That absence forces the Yankees into a look they’ve leaned on for much of the past four months anyway. Cody Bellinger, Heliot Ramos, and Spencer Jones are expected to cover the outfield, while Ben Rice will handle designated hitter duties.
Judge had been targeting a return for the Wild Card round, but the team’s timeline and his own never quite matched up. Manager Aaron Boone called the injury a “ moderate ” calf strain, a description Judge pushed back on after receiving a platelet-poor plasma injection last week.
“ Everybody’s moderate is a little different,” Judge said, relayed by Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “ Your moderate is a little different than my moderate, so on and so on.
So, I don’t know why he used those words. But, like I said, I’m trying to get back as soon as I can.”
While Judge misses the cut, the Yankees are getting some help back. Giancarlo Stanton will be on the roster for the Wild Card round, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported, and Trent Grisham also made the club.
Stanton has been out since late April with a calf strain and was moved to the 60-day injured list near the end of August. His road back was bumpy: he tweaked the right calf in June, then strained the left calf in August. It marked another injury-hit season for Stanton, who was limited to 77 games in 2025 because of elbow issues.
This year, Stanton appeared in 24 games and hit .256/.302/.422 with three home runs in 96 plate appearances. Even with those modest numbers, his return gives New York a needed right-handed bat against Boston’s left-handed starters. The Red Sox are set to start Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Ranger Suarez in Game 3, if the series gets that far.
Grisham’s path back has been shorter, but he’s still coming off a hamstring injury from the first week of September. Before that, he had been the everyday center fielder. At the plate, he’s hit .211 with 18 homers and nine steals.
His defense has been a different story. Grisham has posted -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 119 games in center field, and he was at -11 DRS in 2025.
Jones hasn’t exactly locked down the position either, sitting at -4 DRS, but he has been productive offensively. The rookie’s better numbers against left-handed pitching could help keep him in the lineup, while Ramos could be the odd man out against a right-hander.
Sonny Gray is in line to start Game 2.
In Other News...
Yankees Face A Brutal Center Field Call At The Worst Time
With injuries finally loosening their grip, the Yankees have a center field problem of the best and worst kind as the Wild Card Series arrives. The roster picture is crowded again, but not in a way that makes the decision any easier. New York has to sort through players with different offensive and defensive profiles, and the urgency of a short postseason series means there is little room for waiting on a perfect answer.
Spencer Jones has pushed himself into the conversation as a possible starter in center, thanks in part to his ability against left-handed pitching. Even so, the rookie brings defensive questions that make the choice harder to settle, especially with manager Aaron Boone weighing offense, defense and experience all at once. For a team trying to survive Octobers margin for error, center field has become one of the most complicated calls on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Game 1 Lineup Creates An October Debate Fans Saw Coming
The Yankees first playoff lineup against the Red Sox offered an immediate reminder that October has a way of making every decision feel bigger, especially when it comes to the infield. Anthony Volpe is in at third base, while Amed Rosario gets the start there and hits sixth, giving New York a different look for Game 1 and setting up a conversation that had been building since the roster was finalized.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the bench after making it known he was frustrated by the possibility of not starting, and he is joined there by Ryan McMahon and Luis Garcia Jr. The alignment reflects a clear choice by the Yankees, even if it comes with questions attached, particularly with Rosario starting at third despite his softer results against left-handers this season. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Added A Familiar Red Sox Twist To This Playoff Roster
The Yankees and Red Sox have officially set their rosters for the upcoming American League wild-card series, and the latest layer of intrigue comes from a familiar face in the Bronx. John Schreiber, who spent time with Boston before being claimed off waivers by New York, is on the Yankees playoff roster as the teams get ready to open the series at Yankee Stadium.
It adds another twist to a rivalry that has long been defined by crossover as much as confrontation, with several players in this matchup having worn both uniforms at different points in their careers. In a series where every decision gets magnified, Schreibers presence is a reminder that the Yankees and Red Sox are still finding new ways to make an old rivalry feel fresh. [Read more 🡒]