Where to watch Yankees vs. Red Sox series: Aaron Judge’s possible outfield return, Dustin May’s new approach

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will renew their rivalry on Thursday, opening a four-game series at Yankee Stadium that has obvious playoff implications. The Yankees enter Thursday with a 1 ½ game lead over the Red Sox for the American League’s top wild card spot. Both clubs are stationed four or more games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, with the Red Sox maintaining a half-game advantage over the Seattle Mariners for the second wild card spot.

The Yankees come into play riding a five-game winning streak that included an historic nine-homer performance on Tuesday versus the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox, conversely, have dropped three games in a row and are 3-7 in their last 10 contests. 

Where to watch New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Date: Thursday, August 21 | Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, New York
TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Start watching, save $20!)
Odds (via DraftKings): Yankees -1.5, O/U 8.5

Below, you’ll find a table with the probable starters and start times for each of the four games:

Here are three things to know about the series.

1. Judge may return to outfield

Yankees star Aaron Judge has not appeared in the outfield since July 25 after suffering a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. He’s since endured a brief stint on the injured list and has returned to the lineup in a limited, DH-only capacity. That last part could change this weekend, with manager Aaron Boone indicating that it’s possible Judge will return to playing defense.

How much Judge’s throwing will be impacted by the aforementioned injury is to be seen. He and Boone engaged in a rare public disagreement earlier this week after Boone attempted to temper expectations. 

“We’re trying to get through where he can let it go with ease and be able to protect himself,” Boone said during a radio appearance. “I don’t think we’re going to see him back to throwing like he normally does at any point this year, but that’s OK, too. We’ve got to feel like he can go out there and be able to protect himself and represent himself.”

Judge countered by saying, “I don’t know why he said that. He hasn’t seen me thrown the past two weeks. I’m pretty confident I’ll get back to [100%].” Boone has since attempted to clarify his comments.

Whatever the case, Judge will enter Thursday with a .330/.445/.684 slash line on the season.

2. May hoping to sustain momentum 

Right-hander Dustin May will receive the nod on Sunday, in the series finale. It’ll represent his fourth start since joining Boston. In his first three appearances, he’s notched a 2.87 ERA and has improved both his strikeout and walk rates when compared to his time with the Dodgers.

May, a 27-year-old impending free agent, has made some obvious tweaks since changing coasts. He’s throwing his four-seam fastball and his cutter more often, while capping his deployment of his trademark sinker. 

“Definitely more cutters…[the Red Sox] had the idea,” May told reporters after his Boston debut. “In L.A., it was moreso just kind of use it as an influence, but they like it as a weapon pitch. I kind of agree. It can be really effective, it’s just gotta be executed.”

Whether May can maintain this quality for the rest of the way is to be seen. So far, though, he’s provided Boston with a nice boost.

3. Boston has dominated season series

The Red Sox may have the inferior record at this stage in the season, but it’s not because they’ve failed to deliver in previous head-to-head matchups. 

Indeed, the Red Sox have won five of their first six games this season against the Yankees, including each of the last five:

Overall, the Red Sox have outscored the Yankees by a 35-27 margin.

The Yankees will have ample opportunity to even the score over the remainder of the season. In addition to this week’s four-game set, the two clubs will meet for three more games beginning on September 12.