Pregame introductions are standard for all roster players; omitting a captain signals either injury severity or organizational tension. The New York Yankees had their traditional pregame introduction ceremony minutes before Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox. However, Aaron Judge’s name was snubbed, even though the Yankees named their inactive players.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Giancarlo Stanton, who is yet to play after returning from injury, was named. Jazz Chisholm, who was benched in Game 1, was also named, but Judge was not. Aaron Judge’s absence from the pregame roll call contradicted the Yankees’ own protocol and raised immediate questions about his status.
“I just felt like he wasn’t quite ready,” Aaron Boone noted. He offered a detailed justification for not including Judge in the Wild Card series roster. Understandable, considering how Judge could be useful in the ALDS for the Yankees, but not mentioning his name made the Yankees’ radio voice, Dave Sims, feel weird.
“I don’t know, maybe they didn’t want him to slip on the wet grass or something. I don’t know. It was a little unusual, to say the least, especially since other guys who are not on the roster and a few other guys who are not on the active roster came out and did their thing,” Sims said in a podcast with AJ Pierzynski via Foul Territory.
Although Boone was confident about getting Judge back deep into the postseason, his injury could take some more time. Judge is currently sidelined with a moderate-grade strain of the soleus muscle (right calf), which typically requires a three-to-six-week recovery period. With the Wild Card series underway, that timeline would sideline Judge through the ALDS, raising questions about his availability.
Another reason could be a rift with the captain that could signal deeper roster dysfunction heading into October.
“My goal is to come back as soon as I can… If you ask me if I’m gonna be back, I’m gonna tell you, I’m doing everything I can to get out there,” Judge pushed back Boone’s argument about not picking him for the Wild Card series.
If this theory holds, Judge may be upset with the organization. A face-off between Judge and Boone regarding the former’s injury is nothing new to the Yankees.
This mirrors last year’s public disagreement over Judge’s arm recovery timeline, suggesting a recurring tension over injury assessment. Last year, Boone and Judge publicly contradicted each other about Judge’s arm injury.
“I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too,” Boone commented. “We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself.”
Aaron Judge took no time to counter.
“I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me throw for the past two weeks, so I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to [100 percent].”
But this year, another factor may have played a role in the snub.
Judge wasn’t able to convince his team to be a part of the Wild Card Series roster. He couldn’t show that he could turn corners and run efficiently on Monday afternoon during a live BP at Yankee Stadium. Facing Elmer Rodriguez, he couldn’t run.
“Aaron Judge’s live batting practice appears to be done. Two walks, a strikeout looking, and a grounder back to the mound. He didn’t run the bases or on the field,” Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported on X.
Until the Yankees clarify, speculation will dominate, and early reactions lean negative.