Yankees Star OF Aaron Judge OUT Thursday vs. Red Sox

According to The Michael Kay Show’s official Twitter, New York Yankees star slugger Aaron Judge is not in the team’s lineup for Thursday night’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox due to soreness in his lower body.

Speaking with reporters, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge’s absence, “He’s just been dealing with some kind of lower-body soreness thing… just something we’re not going to mess with.”

Boone did say, however, that Judge could be available to pinch-hit, an indication that the ailment is not considered serious.

The 30-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular for New York this season, slashing .287/.366/.627 with an MLB-leading 30 home runs, as well as 65 RBI and a .993 OPS. 

Judge’s performance has him as the odds-on-favorite for AL MVP honors at +100 odds (courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook) – just ahead of Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani (+200).

FanDuel Sportsbook has the Yankees at -158 on the moneyline ahead of Thursday’s contest with the Red Sox.