Aaron Judge takes BP as Yankees' roster call nears - ESPN

NEW YORK — With just over 24 hours until first pitch, Yankees star Aaron Judge participated in batting practice on the field and took live at-bats Monday for the first time since suffering a right calf strain Sept. 16, as he works to persuade the team's decision-makers to put him on their wild-card series roster against the Boston Red Sox.

«I've been doing a lot of convincing,» Judge said before his on-field work. «I feel like I'm going to keep doing that. But I think the most important thing is just making sure I'm healthy and ready to go for this long stretch. We got another month of baseball to play so I want to be ready for the long run we're going to go on here for this next month. We're all going to be smart, but I think they all know I want to be out there, especially that first game.»

Game 1 between the Yankees and Red Sox, a rematch of last year's wild-card series, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The clubs must submit their rosters by 10 a.m. The Yankees have an unusual number of questions to answer, including whether to carry Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan Weathers on the roster.

But none is bigger than whether to include Judge among the 26 players.

On Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone described Judge's injury as a «moderate-grade strain.» He acknowledged that the team was planning as if Judge would not be available for the series, but he did not rule out the possibility and has left the door cracked open in recent days.

Judge, meanwhile, has remained steadfast in saying he intends to be available for the start of the postseason. Obstacles remain. Besides hitting on the field, Judge said his running has been limited to an antigravity treadmill. He said he had not run the bases, but he hoped to run