Yаnkees turn foсus towаrd Oсtober аs Aаron Judge sіts іn loss to Pіrаtes

A day after the Yankees clinched the AL East title, they turned their focus to the postseason.

Aaron Judge wasn’t in the lineup Friday despite having homered in five straight games and having 58 on the season.

Aaron Boone said Judge would play during the last regular-season series against Pittsburgh in The Bronx but added the outfielder wasn’t focused on getting back to 60 homers.

Aaron Judge did not play in the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Pirates on Sept. 27, 2024.

“He’s not playing for any of that,” Boone said.

The manager said he was “tempted” to pinch-hit Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the bottom of the ninth trailing by two runs, but they didn’t get the tying run to the plate against ex-Yankee Aroldis Chapman in the 4-2 loss.

Judge also still is in the running for the AL Triple Crown with the 58 homers, plus 144 RBIs, while hitting .325, his average falling behind just Kansas City’s Bobby Witt (.332) and just percentage points behind Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr (.325).

With the ALDS not set to begin until Oct. 5, the Yankees have plenty of time to rest and set up their roster.

Boone said those discussions began in earnest Friday.

Besides Gerrit Cole starting Game 1, Boone said Friday’s starter, Carlos Rodon, likely would start either in Game 2 or 3, perhaps depending on who the Yankees end up playing.

Rodon allowed two runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings in the loss.

As for the third starter, Boone said the team hadn’t made any decisions, though Luis Gil, who takes the mound Saturday, and Clarke Schmidt, who goes Sunday in the regular-season finale, will be in the mix for the spot.

“We’ll talk through these things and feel we have [to make] a tough decision, but a good decision,” Boone said. “We have a lot of confidence in whoever pitches that third game, or Game 2.”

Boone said the team would be off Monday, then have different workouts Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before a final workout Friday.

DJ LeMahieu hasn’t given up hope of playing in the postseason after receiving a cortisone shot for his right hip impingement.

DJ LeMahieu

“I’m definitely moving better,’’ LeMahieu said. “The cortisone shot helped a lot — more than I thought it was going to.”

He expects to begin baseball activities “in the next few days.”

Of course, there’s also the matter of how effective LeMahieu would be even if he were healthy since he has had an especially rough season.

“I don’t know if they’ll use me or not,” LeMahieu said. “But I’ll definitely try to be available.”

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third base, Anthony Rizzo at first and Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera ready to come off the bench, it may be tough to find a path onto a postseason roster for LeMahieu.

Boone said Berti, who missed much of the season with a calf injury, likely would play Saturday and Sunday as he prepares for a playoff role.

If the Yankees go with just three starters in the ALDS, it would open up another spot for a position player.

The Jasson Dominguez left field experiment continued and he made a catch near the line on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s fly ball in the second inning, the kind of ball that’s given him trouble at the new position.

He also walked twice and struck out twice, with Boone saying his at-bats were “OK.”

Jake Cousins played light catch Friday as he tries to come back from a strained pec.

If healthy, the right-hander could be an integral part of the Yankees’ playoff relief corps.