Is Aaron Judge playing tonight? Why Yankees star is out of lineup vs. Guardians

Is Aaron Judge playing tonight? Why Yankees star is out of lineup vs. Guardians originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Coming off a 5-1 road trip, the New York Yankees are back in the Bronx starting Tuesday night.

They’ll host the Cleveland Guardians for the opener at Yankee Stadium, but there will be a significant name missing from the lineup.

Superstar right fielder Aaron Judge will start the game on the bench after the Yankees enjoyed an off day on Monday.

This is nothing new for Judge and other guys on New York‘s roster, like the currently injured Giancarlo Stanton. Manager Aaron Boone has shown a propensity to give his sluggers two consecutive days off during the grueling 162-game season.

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The only other time the Yankees have two or more days off consecutively is during the All-Star break.

Judge is the back-to-back AL MVP, but has not had one of his unhuman-like hitting stretches thus far. Entering Tuesday, Judge is batting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs.

Instead of Judge in right field, utility infielder Jose Caballero will man the position in Tuesday’s opener against Jose Ramirez and the Guardians.

Update: The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports that Judge is out of the lineup due to shoulder soreness, per Boone.

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