Judge Sidelined for Wild Card Round
The New York Yankees will open the Wild Card round against the Boston Red Sox without Aaron Judge, as first reported by Jack Curry of YES Network. The outfielder is dealing with a calf strain and will not be on the roster. Judge will have to wait until the ALDS to join the squad, if the Yankees advance that far. New York will likely slot Cody Bellinger, Heliot Ramos, and Spencer Jones into the outfield, with Ben Rice handling designated hitter duties. It is a familiar setup for the Yankees, who have been without Judge for most of the past four months.[S1]
Judge went down with what manager Aaron Boone described as a moderate calf strain, though the outfielder later bristled at that characterization. He received a platelet-poor plasma injection last week. Judge had maintained that he would be ready for the Wild Card round. While Judge fell short of the roster, the Yankees are getting two injured bats back. Giancarlo Stanton will be with the club for the Wild Card round, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Trent Grisham has also made the roster, Morosi relays.[S1]
Stanton and Grisham Return to Bolster Lineup
Stanton has been sidelined since late April with a calf strain. He was moved to the 60-day IL near the end of August. His initial recovery from a calf strain was slowed by additional calf injuries: he tweaked the right one in June, then strained the left one in August. It marked the second straight season ruined by injuries. Stanton was limited to 77 games in 2025 due to elbow issues. He has played 24 games this season, slashing a modest .256/.302/.422 with three homers in 96 plate appearances. Having Stanton back in the mix will give a lefty-heavy lineup a right-handed option against Boston's southpaws. The Red Sox will start Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Ranger Suarez in Game 3, if necessary.[S1]
Grisham strained his hamstring in the first week of September. He had been the everyday center fielder prior to the injury. Grisham has hit just .211 this year, but it has come with 18 homers and nine steals. For the second straight season, Grisham has struggled with the glove. He has posted -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 119 games in center field. He was at -11 DRS in 2025. Jones has not been much better out there (-4 DRS), but he has been productive at the plate. The rookie actually has better numbers against left-handed pitching, which could keep him in the lineup. Ramos could get squeezed out when the Yankees face a righty. Sonny Gray is in line to start Game 2.[S1]
