The New York Yankees are preparing to play the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, but the biggest question is whether Aaron Judge will be healthy for the series.
Judge suffered a calf strain in the middle of September that sidelined him for the end of the regular season and the Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox. While Judge expressed his desire to play alongside his teammates, the Yankees kept him out since their doctors presumably did not clear him to play.
If Judge can't play, the Yankees would not be able to add him to the roster for the remainder of the series, which is scheduled to last over the next week. If Judge does play, he probably wouldn't be 100 percent, which would force the Yankees into some interesting lineup decisions.
Here's the latest on Judge's injury ahead of the ALDS.
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Aaron Judge injury update
Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke with the media on Friday before the ALDS, and he was of course asked about Aaron Judge's availability. Boone said that Judge was continuing to rehab from his calf strain and that he has began to run for the first time since the injury.
Aaron Boone gives an update on Aaron Judge's status for the ALDS: "We'll see. He'll be working out today, hit again live yesterday."
Boone is not sure if Judge has run the bases but knows that Judge has started running pic.twitter.com/RItnaCMlAj
As the Yankees spring training facility is located in Tampa, Florida, Judge has the benefit of working out at the team's facility. Judge appears to be making progress, although Boone's comments on him were vague and not a clear decision on whether Judge will be on the roster.
Boone also said that the Yankees have not yet decided on their roster for the ALDS, as the team will meet on Friday night to discuss who should make the 26-man roster. New York will then announce the full roster on Saturday before first pitch at Tropicana Field on Saturday evening.
