Aaron Judge Ruled Out of ALDS Opener, Continues Calf Strain Recovery

Aaron Judge has been left off the New York Yankees' American League Division Series roster, the team announced Saturday, as he continues to recover from a moderate right calf strain. The outfielder's absence marks the second consecutive postseason series he will miss the start of, after also being sidelined for the AL wild-card round.

Despite progress in his recovery, including batting practice and facing live pitching in recent days, Judge has not yet met the team's criteria for game readiness. The Yankees made the decision to err on the side of caution, keeping him off the roster for the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Judge sustained the injury approximately two and a half weeks ago.

The Yankees advanced to the ALDS by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card series, performing well in Judge's absence. However, facing the Rays without their star hitter presents a more significant challenge. A potential return for Judge could occur later in the ALDS, possibly for the ALCS, should the Yankees advance. He had begun a running progression earlier in the week and participated in batting practice on Friday at Tropicana Field. Manager Aaron Boone had previously indicated the possibility of carrying Judge even if he wasn't fully cleared, with a potential return at Yankee Stadium later in the series. However, the team ultimately opted against this approach for the initial games.