The New York Yankees will open their AL Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday without captain Aaron Judge, who remains sidelined due to a calf injury. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Crochet are set to return for New York and Boston, respectively, as both teams finalize their postseason rosters.
Judge remains on injured list as Yankees face Red Sox without captain
The Yankees announced that Judge, the 2025 AL MVP, would not be on the roster for the best-of-three series, despite his earlier indications of attempting to return. Judge sustained a moderate soleus muscle strain in his calf during the regular season and received a platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injection in an effort to accelerate his recovery. However, team medical staff determined he was not yet ready to compete in the postseason opener.
New York manager Aaron Boone stated that the team was not expecting Judge to be available for the Wild Card round, though Judge had previously suggested he might play. Boone added that the Yankees would continue to monitor his progress. The Yankees will open the series with Cam Schlittler, their Cy Young-contending starter, on the mound.
Stanton and Crochet return as both teams bolster lineups
In a separate roster move, the Yankees confirmed that Giancarlo Stanton, who had been dealing with multiple calf injuries, is back on the Wild Card series roster. Stanton, a key offensive contributor, has not played since April 24 and appeared in just 24 games this season, batting .256 with three home runs and 18 RBI. His return provides a boost to New York’s lineup as they face their division rivals.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, announced that Garrett Crochet, their top pitcher when healthy, would be on the postseason roster after missing significant time due to left shoulder inflammation and a lat strain. Crochet, who struggled in a limited regular season (3-3, 6.30 ERA in six appearances), posted strong numbers in 2025 (18-5, 2.59 ERA) and is expected to bolster Boston’s pitching staff in the series opener against Schlittler.
Medical concerns and playoff implications
A foot-and-ankle surgeon, Dr. Drew Burdi, warned that a premature return for Judge could risk exacerbating his injury, potentially leading to more severe damage such as a hamstring strain, Achilles injury, or even an Achilles rupture. Burdi emphasized that strains involve varying degrees of muscle tearing and that pushing too quickly could extend recovery time, regardless of advanced treatments like PRP injections or shock wave therapy.
The Yankees, who finished the regular season with a 87-75 record after a midseason managerial change and a 15-game winning streak, will rely heavily on their pitching staff in the absence of Judge. Schlittler, a Cy Young candidate with a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts, will face the Red Sox’s Payton Tolle, a rookie left-hander who excelled against New York during the regular season (13.0 innings, 1 earned run allowed in two starts).
The series marks a rematch of the 2025 AL Wild Card round, which the Yankees won. Boston enters the postseason after a dramatic turnaround, going 55-29 from June 25 to the end of the season following an early-season slump that saw them as low as 9-17 on April 24.