Aaron Judge Injury: Impact on ALDS, Yankees, Rays

The New York Yankees will not have their biggest star against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sep 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees injured right fielder Aaron Judge (99) watches from the dugout during the third inning of game one of the Wildcard round of the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays will take the field on Saturday night to kick off the five-game American League Division Series, but Aaron Judge will not be in the lineup.

The hulking Yankees star has been sidelined due to a calf injury. Although he has started swinging, he isn't ready to return to game action just yet. Jack Curry of YES Network reported the news on Saturday morning.

"Aaron Judge will NOT be on the ALDS roster vs Rays," Curry wrote on X.

ALDS Impact for Yankees, Rays

Sep 22, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees injured right fielder Aaron Judge (99) watches from the dugout during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York Yankees

The Yankees' lineup got the job done against the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card series, but it's going to be a more difficult task against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays were the best team in the American League in 2026 and finished the regular season with a league-leading 98-64 record. New York's lineup is much easier to plan around without Judge.

He's the right-handed bat that balances the lineup. Without him in the lineup, it's easier for an opposing team to put a lefty on the mound. In the Red Sox series, New York benched Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Luis García Jr. when a lefty was on the hill. Again, the Yankees still came out on top. But when Judge is in the middle of the order, it's much more difficult to plan against the lineup in general. The Yankees put Giancarlo Stanton on the ALDS roster, who could be a big right-handed to limit the damage. But is he fully ready to go?

Tampa Bay Rays

Again, it's much easier to plan against the Yankees' lineup with Judge out of the mix. Righty Drew Rasmussen will take the hill in Game 1. The Game 2 starter hasn't been anounced just yet. Freddy Peralta likely will be the Game 2 starter. If healthy, Shane McClanahan would've been a perfect option. But the lefty Ian Seymour could also be a very intriguing option to throw at New York. The Rays already were the favorites on paper after a dominant regular season. With Judge on the shelf, that's even more the case now.

ALDS In General

At the end of the day, you want to see the league's best play when the lights are the brightest. The ALDS would've been significantly better — at least on paper — if Judge was able to go. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. So, the Rays and Yankees will kick off action on Saturday night and Tampa Bay should be considered the favorites.