Aaron Boone explains why keeping Aaron Judge off ALDS roster 'was the best thing'

ST. PETERSBURG — The New York Yankees are now in the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, and New York will be without Aaron Judge even though he is “making good progress” from his right calf injury. 

It’s more than just the calf injury that has hampered Judge; it’s about endurance and needing a couple of weeks before he is ready to play Major Leagues games. Manager Aaron Boone has often said he wants Judge at full strength, and that means playing right field.

After practice on Friday, Boone, Judge and Mike Shuck, the team’s director of sports medicine and rehabilitation, had a conversation about Judge playing in the ALDS. Once the conversation ended. Boone then sat on his decision for an hour before deciding that Judge would have to sit out the series.

Manager Aaron Boone explains decision to keep Aaron Judge off ALDS roster

“Ultimately, I obviously decided keeping (Judge) off was the best thing,” Boone told reporters. “Again, I feel like he's getting close, but I feel like for us to get a version of Aaron back and to win a World Series, I feel like this week's important for him to continue to work towards getting back.”

Judge last played on Sept. 16 against the Twins in Minnesota. Boone said Judge was going to the outfield to play defense that day, and that's when the calf tightened up on him. Boone called the strain moderate.  

It has been an injury-riddled season for Judge. He missed more than two months of this season because of a stress fracture in his right rib. For the season, Judge has played in 66 games and is slashing .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBI. 

“It's more about endurance, more about going out there and playing a baseball game for three hours,” Boone said. “I mean, he hasn't done anything really for a couple weeks in that regard. That's the challenge of all this. I feel like he could go out there and play with the governor and kind of get through, but it's like, ultimately, the few hours of … adrenaline and playoffs and 48 (thousand fans). That's a lot.

“So that's why I feel like these days are important in … building as much endurance as you can. It's one thing to prove one day you can go run. It's another thing now to go do it tomorrow and the next day and do it for three hours.”

Despite Judge’s absence, outfielder Spencer Jones believes that the Yankees still have the talent to beat the Rays in a five-game series.   

“I think there's a lot of belief with everybody in the room,” Jones said. “I think there's no pressure on any individuals. It's all of us going out there together, and we know we can play good situational baseball, get guys on base, get them in, hit the long ball and our pitching staff has been doing their job all season long. So, I think we're just taking a lot of pride in doing the little things right now.”

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.