Aaron Judge to Miss AL Wild Card Series; Giancarlo Stanton Included on Yankees Roster

Aaron Judge will miss the ALWCS against the Red Sox due to a right calf strain, though Giancarlo Stanton returns after a five-month absence.

The New York Yankees submitted their 26-man roster for the American League Wild Card series on Tuesday, excluding three-time MVP Aaron Judge. Judge has not played since straining his right calf on Sept. 16, an injury Yankees manager Aaron Boone previously characterized as a "moderate-grade" strain. During a Monday workout at Yankee Stadium, Judge faced live pitching for the first time since the injury, taking one at-bat against Ryan Weathers and three against Elmer Rodriguez, but he did not perform any running drills.

Giancarlo Stanton was activated from the 60-day injured list Tuesday and included on the roster for the best-of-three series against the Boston Red Sox. Stanton, who is expected to serve exclusively as a pinch hitter, has not appeared in a game since April 24 due to a right calf strain and subsequent setbacks to both calves in June and August. Outfielder Trent Grisham also made the roster despite missing time since Sept. 4 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

New York opted for an unusual roster composition featuring 16 position players and 10 pitchers. Left-hander Ryan Weathers was left off the squad despite throwing a live batting practice session on Monday. The Yankees finished the regular season 93-68, going 41-25 with Judge in the lineup and 52-43 without him. Should the team advance to the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Judge could potentially be added for the series opener on Saturday at Tropicana Field.