NEW YORK — New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo was conflicted. As he stood with a brace on his right hand that protected his broken fingers, he tried to be reasonable about his chances of not missing any time in the playoffs.
Could Rizzo really be an option to play in the American League Division Series, which starts Saturday?
“In my mind, yes,” he said. “In reality, I don’t know.”
Rizzo was speaking to reporters after the Yankees beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-4, in their final regular-season game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. They finished 94-68 — owners of the best record in the American League and the AL East crown. As a reward, they’ll skip the AL Wild Card Series.
On Saturday, a high-and-inside curveball hit Rizzo’s hand and fractured his ring and pinky fingers. He’s the active leader in being hit by pitches with 222 over his 14-year career. Yet this was the first one to ever break any of his bones.
Manager Aaron Boone essentially said not to hold your breath if you’re expecting Rizzo to play.
“I don’t necessarily expect him for the division series,” he said. “I still view that as very much a long shot.”
But Rizzo was holding out hope.
“It’s awful timing,” he said. “But it happened for a reason and I’m just trying to process it and I’m in as good of spirits as I can be.”
Anthony Rizzo with @M_Marakovits & the media on his injured hand, followed by reaction from the studio. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/P7Jh55H1Oq
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 30, 2024
Rizzo said the pain in his hand was considerably less Sunday night than it was on Saturday. He said he still didn’t know whether he’d be able to grip a bat or put a mitt on his hand.
He said that he expects to be given medical treatment until either Thursday or Friday. Then he’ll attempt baseball activities. The Yankees are giving players the day off Monday. They’ll spend the rest of the week working out at Yankee Stadium.
“Just depends on the pain tolerance,” Rizzo said. “The pain isn’t really that high right now.”
He said he wouldn’t try to lie to the Yankees about how he’s feeling.
“I’ll be honest with them,” he said. “I’m not going to try to play if I can’t. But I’ll definitely do my best.”
Boone said Rizzo suffered a “clean break” and that the Yankees didn’t want to immediately put Rizzo on the injured list in case he recovers faster than expected. But for the second straight season, he has underwhelmed at the plate, hitting just .228 with a .637 OPS in 337 at-bats.
Rizzo also missed about nine weeks after he broke his right forearm falling to the ground while running to first base on June 16. He represents the team’s best option at first base, where he’s still a solid defender with a penchant for picking difficult throws out of the dirt.
On Sunday, the Yankees started rookie Ben Rice, a natural catcher, at first base. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts, and he has mostly struggled offensively in the majors, hitting .175 in 149 at-bats.
Oswaldo Cabrera would be their other option. He’s a switch-hitter and the Yankees like his bat from the left side. He has much less experience at first base than Rice, who doesn’t have all that much experience himself. Plus, the Yankees may prefer Cabrera as a pinch-hitting option. Trent Grisham and Austin Wells each have taken grounders at first base before games this season, but neither has played the position professionally.
“I think we’ll kind of look at everyone and probably even get a couple of guys in the mix over there even if it’s in a pinch in a certain game, get some guys over there and get some reps over there just in case we get into an emergency situation within a game,” Boone said.
As for Rizzo? He’ll continue holding out hope, however slim the chances are.
“This is what you dream of in October — playing,” he said. “If I can be out there and help the team, it’s definitely what I’ll do my best to do.”
(Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
