Judge left off Yankees’ ALDS roster as calf recovery continues

Aaron Judge will miss the Yankees' American League Division Series against Tampa Bay. New York left its captain off the 26-man roster Saturday as he continues recovering from the strained right calf that has kept him out since September 16.

The Yankees' official roster announcement confirms the decision:

The omission settles the question that remained open after Friday's workout. Judge had faced live pitching and continued his hitting work, but the club decided his recovery had not progressed far enough to include him for the best-of-five series. MLB.com reports that he can be added for a potential American League Championship Series if New York advances.

New York changed one spot from its Wild Card roster, adding left-hander Ryan Weathers and leaving off utility player Amed Rosario. That moves the pitching staff from 10 to 11 while keeping Giancarlo Stanton available among the position players. Stanton also missed much of the regular season with calf problems and was active for the Wild Card round without taking an at-bat, theScore reports.

Judge's absence extends an injury-disrupted season. Field Level Media reports that he played only seven games after returning September 8 from a fractured rib before suffering the calf strain. He finished the regular season with a .241 average, 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in 66 games.

The Yankees swept the Wild Card Series without him, scoring 18 runs in two games. Tampa Bay presents the next test, with Gerrit Cole listed to start Saturday's opener against Drew Rasmussen at Tropicana Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Judge's hitting work had kept a possible return in view all week. Saturday's roster makes New York's immediate plan concrete: play this series with the group that advanced, supplemented by another pitcher, while Judge continues his recovery.