The New York Yankees start the postseason on Tuesday, with the Boston Red Sox likely coming to town.
The biggest story leading up to the game is whether or not Aaron Judge will be in the lineup. He is currently on the injured list with a calf strain, and manager Aaron Boone has said he is not planning on having Judge for the Wild Card Series.
In a shocking twist, Judge has said multiple times on Wednesday that he plans to be ready for Game 1. Now, all eyes are on the three-time MVP to see if he can overcome a calf strain in less than two weeks to contribute in the postseason.
Even if Judge does return, it's hard to imagine that he will be ready to play the field right away. Well, Judge said that's exactly what he plans to do. He will play wherever Boone has him, but knows that him playing right field gives the Yankees the best possible lineup.
"Any form they need me," Judge told reporters on Wednesday. "Obviously I want to try to come back and be ready to play the field because I think that gives us the best lineup. Especially with how (Ben Rice) has been swinging the bat, and you have (Luis Garcia Jr.) and (Paul Goldschmidt) at first base. I'm a right fielder. That's what we're trying to do, any way I can get back to be in good form to play the outfield."
Judge has one thing right: the Yankees lineup is better when he isn't in the designated hitter spot. With Judge as the designated hitter, Rice would play first base, but that would keep Goldschmidt and Garcia out of the lineup. The Yankees could move Garcia to second base, but that would move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third base.