NEW YORK — On-field microphones picked up audio of New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo cursing in agony after Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Ryan Borucki hit him on the suitable hand with an 88 mph slider. Rizzo initially stayed within the recreation however was shortly eliminated as soon as the inning ended. It seems Rizzo fractured his fourth and fifth fingers.
With only one regular-season recreation remaining and almost per week of relaxation earlier than the Yankees host the American League Division Sequence on Saturday, supervisor Aaron Boone didn’t rule him out to make their postseason roster.
“It’s one thing that could be a ache tolerance factor,” Boone mentioned. “We’ll see as the times unfold right here with what we’ve.”
Rizzo tried testing his hand to renew enjoying, however Boone mentioned it didn’t really feel proper as he tried to squeeze his hand inside his glove. It’s additionally Rizzo’s lead hand for his follow-through in his swing. Fractured fingers received’t heal earlier than the ALDS begins, so the Yankees should take into account whether or not a compromised Rizzo is their most suitable choice at first base.
Rizzo in a number of ache after this hit by pitch however he stays within the recreation pic.twitter.com/65zONns19U
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 28, 2024
If Rizzo can not play within the ALDS, the Yankees might flip to both Oswaldo Cabrera, DJ LeMahieu or Ben Rice as their main first baseman. Cabrera has regarded snug on the place in restricted motion, regardless that he’s performed first base sparingly all through his first two seasons within the majors. Cabrera entered Saturday’s recreation with a .754 OPS within the second half of the season.
If the Yankees went with an upside play, Rice could be the selection. He realized first base on the fly within the huge leagues earlier this season and graded out barely positively. Rice struggled immensely on the plate in his ultimate 14 video games, going 2-for-35 with 11 strikeouts earlier than being despatched again to Triple A when Rizzo returned from a fractured forearm.
After returning to Triple A, Rice raked. He hit 9 dwelling runs in 19 video games to finish the season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rice additionally had encouraging superior metrics that instructed he would have success with a bigger pattern measurement within the majors. His xWOBA (a contact high quality measure), common exit velocity, barrel share, chase share, and stroll share had been all properly above the major-league common. Rice posted a .624 OPS in 49 video games, so in the event that they went with him as the selection to probably change Rizzo, they might be banking on the analytics working in his favor with extra at-bats.
“He’s gone down and performed very well once more this final month at Triple A,” Boone mentioned of Rice. “He would positively be within the combine.”
The Yankees might additionally use LeMahieu, who’s ramping up baseball actions after happening the injured listing with a proper hip impingement. LeMahieu was one in all MLB’s worst performers after beginning his season late because of a non-displaced fracture on the highest of his proper foot. It appears unwise to assume LeMahieu can regain his kind simply days earlier than the postseason begins.
First base has been a obtrusive weak spot for the Yankees all season. They entered Saturday’s recreation with the second-worst wRC+ from their first basemen this season, with solely the Colorado Rockies offering worse offensive manufacturing on the place. Rizzo had a .643 OPS since coming back from the injured listing on Sept. 1, however even that low mark was higher than what the Yankees had been getting from LeMahieu and Rice.
If Rizzo is unable to return earlier than the season ends, it’s doable Saturday could possibly be the final time he performs for the Yankees. He has a $17 million membership possibility for 2025, which the Yankees will nearly actually decline. It’s doable the 2 sides might conform to a smaller contract, particularly with him owed $6 million in a buyout.
Within the meantime, the Yankees could possibly be down their finest defensive first baseman and one in all solely two gamers on their roster (the opposite being Juan Soto) who has received a World Sequence ring.
“He’s come again and performed a extremely good job for us serving to anchor our protection,” Boone mentioned. “I really feel like he’s been giving us actually good at-bats on the backside of the order. We’ll see what we’ve transferring ahead. I don’t need to bounce to something. We’ll see how he responds within the subsequent a number of days earlier than we kick this factor off in per week.”
(Photograph: Dustin Satloff / Getty Photographs)
