The Yankees haven’t gotten much out of veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo since he broke his right arm after a groundout to first base. Rizzo’s last game was June 16 against Boston and the Yankees have been trying to fill the position in his absence.
Rizzo had problems with the Yankees before his injury
Before his injury, the 35-year-old left-hander had a batting average of .223/.289/.341 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs, resulting in a wRC+ of 80. Those numbers are far from ideal, but surprisingly, Rizzo has still been 29% better than DJ LeMahieu’s output this season and slightly better than rookie Ben Rice. Rice has played 47 games in his first year, posting just a batting average of .178/.273/.363.
Rizzo’s rehabilitation progress
On Wednesday, Empire Sports Media reporter Joel Rodriguez spoke with Rizzo about his rehab process and his progress at Double-A over the past few days.
“Yeah, I felt really good this weekend in Portland. Everything went well. I was very open with the training staff and there’s a lot of trust between them and me. I played first base and felt great. I enjoyed playing on the field today, so we’ll just reevaluate it afterwards.”
Drawing parallels to the 2016 Cubs
Rizzo was also asked about the similarities between his 2016 World Series-winning Cubs team and the current Yankees team. He noted that while the team’s inconsistency this season was concerning, they had enough talent to be successful when all 26 players contributed. He emphasized that it’s usually the best team that wins, not necessarily the most talented.
“Yeah, I think we’re definitely ready for it. It’s going to start with pitching and defense. The way Soto and Judge are playing in their spectacular seasons, pitching, defense and good balance are going to be key for us. It’s so hard to win the last game of the season. I think the best team will win, not the most talented – that’s how it usually goes. We have a really good group, so our chances are good.”
Outlook: Rizzo’s return and the Yankees’ strategy
If Rizzo returns to the Yankees within the next two weeks, he is expected to reclaim the starting first base position without interruption. Given the struggles of alternatives like LeMahieu, it might be in the Yankees’ best interest to take him out of the lineup on a regular basis to find success.
It will be crucial for the Yankees to stay healthy and get into top shape at the right time toward the end of September. They also face other important decisions, such as how to use Clarke Schmidt and whether to promote Jasson Dominguez to compete with Alex Verdugo in left field.
