Inside The Pinstripes

Aaron Judge Given Day Off as Yankees Face Angels' Shohei Ohtani

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone gave right fielder Aaron Judge the day off as the Yankees face Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — As two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani prepares to take the mound on Wednesday night, it'll take a complete performance by the Yankees' offense to put runs on the board.

Not only will a matchup with Ohtani be a challenge, but New York will have to do it without Aaron Judge in the starting lineup.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone elected to sit the star right fielder on Wednesday, giving the slugger a day off in the midst of a stretch with 13 games in a row.

"Just a day. One that I feel like he really needs," Boone said. 

Give Judge some credit. After multiple seasons filled with injuries, the outfielder has played in 75 of New York's 79 games to start the regular season. With an ace on the mound—just days after Boone admitted that this club's season is "on the line"—it's a little odd to see a team rest their best player. 

Boone admitted that it was a tough call not to start his slugger.

"Oh yeah, today is a very hard one with all we're going through as a club and who he is to our team," Boone said. "But I also have to at times keep the big picture in mind."

Keeping the big picture in mind is a tactic Boone and the Yankees will often employ when laying out playing time. The same reasoning has been used before with Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and others. 

Boone added that Judge has been banged up this season, never sustaining any injuries that would result in him missing time, but his consistent play has taken a toll to a certain extent. 

Asked if Judge fought back with Boone's decision to keep him out of the lineup, the manager explained that the two have a consistent dialogue, constantly working together to make sure he's staying healthy. 

The conservative approach is certainly warranted with Judge's injury history. That doesn't make it any easier for fans who were eager to see Judge and Ohtani—two MVP-caliber ballplayers—face off between the lines on Wednesday night. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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