09/28/26 03:41:00
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09/28 15:39 CDT Aaron Judge hopes to persuade Yankees to put him in lineup
against Red Sox in Wild Card Series
Aaron Judge hopes to persuade Yankees to put him in lineup against Red Sox in
Wild Card Series
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Aaron Judge hopes to talk his way onto the New York Yankees
roster for the AL Wild Card Series and into the starting lineup against the
Boston Red Sox.
Sidelined since Sept. 16 by a strained right calf, the Yankees captain planned
to take batting practice on the field Monday, a day ahead of the series opener.
"I've been doing a lot of convincing, I feel like, so I'm going to keep doing
that," he said. "The most important thing is just making sure I'm healthy and
ready to go for this long stretch. We've got another month of baseball to play."
A three-time AL MVP, the 34-year-old slugger had a platelet-poor plasma
injection Sept. 21. He was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8
and played in just seven games before the latest injury.
"He's making progress. We'll continue to see where he's at," Yankees manager
Aaron Boone said.
Speaking in front of his locker, a diamond-and-garnet pendant of a judge's
gavel hanging from his neck, the outfielder said he hasn't run the bases since
the injury but had been working on an AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill.
"I've been hitting for a while, so it feels great, which is definitely a big
step forward because you kind of produce a lot of weight on that back leg," he
said.
Judge was limited to 66 games this season. He hit .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs
and an .871 OPS, including .174 with one homer and three RBIs in September.
He hopes not to be limited to designated hitter --- teammate Ben Rice was the
DH in 96 games.
"I'm trying to come back as an outfielder because I think it helps our team the
most, but however they see I fit in the best, I am going to try to do that,"
Judge said.
Judge didn't express concern about trying for a quick return from an injury to
his soleus muscle, which is part of the Achilles tendon.
"Guys take risks every single day. I know a lot of guys in here are banged up
and dealing with stuff," he said. "So, yeah, I understand the risks."
In his 11th big league season and still without a World Series title, Judge is
sensing the passage of time as motivation for pushing to get back on the field.
"The biggest thing is just understanding how short I get. The time I get to be
a Yankee and play this game of baseball is a very short window," he said. "Ten
years have gone by since I debuted out here. Time flies and I just think about
that more than thinking about age. I feel like I'll still be a good baseball
player at 45. So, yeah, it's more just, your window to play this game is short
so you don't want to miss an opportunity."
Stanton, Grisham and Weathers
Giancarlo Stanton, out since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both
legs, also is a roster possibility along with center fielder Trent Grisham,
sidelined since straining his right hamstring on Sept. 4, and left-hander Ryan
Weathers, who hasn't pitched since Aug. 22 because of a left forearm flexor
strain.
"There's a few roster decisions still that we keep kind of bouncing back and
forth, thinking about lineup construction," Boone said. "So those are still
things that I'm wrestling with to some degree. Ultimately, we've got to settle
on it tomorrow and go let it rip."
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