New York Yankees Joel Sherman Yankees must use their biggest advantage in lefty-heavy series with Red Sox By Joel Sherman Published Sep. 29, 2026, 6:53 p.m. ET Yankees right fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a single at Yankee Stadium. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post The preseries machinations for Red Sox-Yankees revolved around who was left out and who was the right fit.
The biggest news, literally and figuratively, was that Aaron Judge did not make the Yankees roster. Players need a large level of delusion to be able to perform when so many folks are watching and care. And Judge has it at a size commensurate with his 6-foot-7 frame.
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But there is just so much heel-clicking and wish-casting against the reality that calf injuries — particularly not mild ones for large humans — do not heal in two weeks to the point where an athlete can be fully competitive; even with the modern benefits of platelet-poor plasma injection.
Nevertheless, who was put on these rosters said a lot about how the teams envision what is being accentuated in this series. Garrett Crochet, who had not pitched in the majors since April 25, was activated to give the Red Sox six lefties. Giancarlo Stanton, who had not played in the majors since April 24, was activated for the Yankees to provide an extra righty bat to try to counter the lefty pitching.
