Anthony Rizzo Could Be Out 4 to 6 Weeks Due to Injury
BOSTON — The Yankees will be without their first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, for a period of four to six weeks after he suffered a fracture in his right arm during a collision in the seventh inning of Sunday night’s 9-3 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Report and Diagnosis
A report from The Athletic on Monday indicates that Rizzo will miss between four and six weeks due to the arm fracture, though the team has not yet confirmed this information.
Details of the Incident
Rizzo reached base due to an error by first baseman Dominic Smith and then collided with pitcher Brennan Bernardino, falling beyond the base. He showed immediate signs of pain and remained on the ground for several minutes before being replaced by Oswaldo Cabrera as a pinch-runner.
“When he didn’t get up right away, I knew he was in pain,” manager Aaron Boone said. Initial fluoroscope results at Fenway Park were negative, but Rizzo underwent further imaging on Monday in New York.
“Rizz usually doesn’t show pain,” captain Aaron Judge commented. “He leads the MLB in hit-by-pitches, so he’s used to dealing with pain. He’s a tough guy.”
Challenges at Fenway Park
It has been a tough year for Rizzo, whose 2023 season was disrupted by a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres last May. His offensive production dropped significantly after that incident, and he was eventually placed on the injured list with post-concussion syndrome.
Although Rizzo has stated several times that he no longer has concussion-related issues, his numbers have declined each month this year. Including his hitless performance on Sunday, Rizzo has only 5 hits in 48 at-bats (.104) in June, with one double, one home run, and three RBIs.
“The guy has been swinging the bat well over the past week or so and has come up with some big hits,” Judge said. “He hit a home run against Kansas City. We’re going to miss him, but the main thing is his health.”
Lineup Adjustments
With Rizzo heading to the injured list, the Yankees could use DJ LeMahieu more regularly at first base, with Cabrera seeing more playing time at third base, as they did to finish Sunday’s game.
Options in Triple-A
In Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, there are a couple of promising options for first base, though neither is currently on the 40-man roster.
Catcher/first baseman Ben Rice has had a strong start after a recent promotion from Double-A Somerset, tallying 14 hits in 42 at-bats (.333) with three home runs and 10 RBIs in Triple-A. Rice is the Yankees’ No. 12 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
T.J. Rumfield has also been one of the RailRiders’ most consistent hitters, posting a .303/.358/.454 slash line, with five home runs and 32 RBIs in 47 Triple-A games through Sunday.
