The Yankees still do not know whether Aaron Judge will be available for the Wild Card Series, with the captain’s calf injury among several decisions that could reshape their postseason roster.
Judge has been out since September 16 with a right calf strain. Manager Aaron Boone has said New York is preparing as though the captain will be unavailable for the opening round, while keeping open the possibility that his condition improves.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported Saturday that Judge had resumed physical activity but, as of Friday, had not swung a bat since suffering the injury. Judge has said he wants to return in right field rather than serve only as the designated hitter.
The Yankees must submit their Wild Card Series roster Tuesday morning, leaving the final weekend for further assessments. Boone said Friday that the team had more unresolved postseason decisions than in a typical year, when discussions often concern only the final roster spots.
Judge received a platelet-poor plasma injection earlier in the week as part of his treatment. The latest setback followed a rib injury that kept him out from May 31 to September 8; he appeared in only seven games before hurting his calf.
Judge is batting .241 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games this season. He continues to target the start of the playoffs, while Boone has stressed that any decision will depend on how the injury heals.
Stanton has not played since April 24 and has dealt with strains in both calves during his attempted return. He and Grisham faced live pitching this week, with Stanton also running the bases as the Yankees evaluated whether a limited postseason role was realistic.
Grisham has been out with a right hamstring strain since September 4. ESPN reported that the Yankees had delayed activating him to preserve roster flexibility, rather than immediately making another move to create space on the active roster.
One possibility is carrying an injured-list returnee primarily as a pinch hitter, which would place more importance on the balance between position players and pitchers. Boone has ruled out taking 13 pitchers and said New York might carry fewer than 12 for the best-of-three series.
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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with ESPN: September 26 roster reporting.
Read at ESPN: September 26 roster reporting
