Aaron Judge left off Yankees' Wild Card Series roster vs Red Sox with calf injury

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge was omitted from the team's roster for the upcoming American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox due to a calf injury. In contrast, Giancarlo Stanton, who had been sidelined since April 24 with calf muscle issues in both legs, was included in the roster. Trent Grisham, the center fielder, was also selected for the series.

Judge had attempted to resume playing by participating in live batting practice on Monday, just a day before the series kicked off. During his attempt, he walked twice, hit a pitch back to the mound, and got called out on strikes. Despite these efforts, the 34-year-old slugger was ultimately left off the team due to his ongoing injury.

A three-time American League Most Valuable Player, Judge had previously dealt with injuries, including a fractured rib that sidelined him from May 31 to September 8, forcing him to miss seven games. This season, he played in only 66 games, posting a .241 batting average, 18 home runs, 41 RBIs, and an .871 OPS. Stanton, on the other hand, started the season with a .256 average, three home runs, and 14 RBIs in 24 games.

However, he has missed a significant number of games since joining the Yankees in 2018, totaling 500 out of 1,194 games, which accounts for 41.9% of the total.