The Yankees will go into the Wild Card round without Aaron Judge, but they’re getting some important help back around him.
Judge was left off New York’s roster for the matchup with the Red Sox, according to the report first filed by Jack Curry of YES Network. The outfielder is still working through a calf strain and won’t be available until the ALDS, if the Yankees advance that far. Manager Aaron Boone had called it a “ moderate ” calf strain, a label 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.”
Even without Judge, New York is set to piece together a familiar-looking outfield. Cody Bellinger, Heliot Ramos, and Spencer Jones are expected to handle those spots, with Ben Rice at DH. It’s a setup the Yankees know well after spending most of the last four months without Judge.
The bigger boost for New York is that Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham are both back on the roster, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Stanton has been out since late April with a calf strain and was moved to the 60-day IL near the end of August. Grisham has been sidelined since early September with a hamstring injury.
Stanton’s path back has been messy. His recovery from the calf issue was interrupted by more calf trouble, first with the right calf in June and then the left calf in August. It’s the second straight season that injuries have derailed him, after he was limited to 77 games in 2025 because of elbow problems.
This year, Stanton appeared in 24 games and hit .256/.302/.422 with three homers in 96 plate appearances. His return gives the Yankees a right-handed bat in a lineup that leans left, which matters against Boston’s southpaws. 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 had been the everyday center fielder before his hamstring injury in the first week of September. He’s hit .211 this season, but he’s also supplied 18 homers and nine steals.
Defense has been the problem for Grisham again. He’s posted -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 119 games in center field.
Jones hasn’t exactly locked down the spot either, sitting at -4 DRS, though he has given the Yankees production at the plate. The rookie has actually been better against left-handed pitching, which could help him stay in the lineup.
Ramos, meanwhile, could be the odd man out when New York faces a right-hander. Sonny Gray is slated to start Game 2.
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The coaching overlap is just as notable for UConn. Candle and Syracuse defensive coordinator Vince Kehres worked together at Toledo, and UConn offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile has Syracuse ties of his own, which gives the matchup an extra layer beyond the usual nonconference meeting. For Candle, it is the kind of game that can feel more personal than most, even before the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]