The New York Yankees desperately need starting first baseman Anthony Rizzo back in the lineup. Without their lefty slugger helping the top end of the batting order, they’ve been forced to rely on Marwin Gonzalez and Ronald Guzman, two extremely inefficient offensive players.
However, Rizzo is quickly gaining his health back, despite having a blood patch on Friday. After receiving an epidural to treat his lower back issue, Rizzo began experiencing crippling headaches, with the doctor ordering him bed rest.
The Yankees need Anthony Rizzo back badly:
Rizzo has been out since August 30 against the Los Angeles Angels, staying in California to receive treatment. However, his team has managed to string together a few wins despite a tough performance against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
The 33-year-old veteran is hitting .225 this season with a 34% on-base rate, 30 homers, and 71 RBIs. He also features a 19% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate, earning a 137 wRC+, his best metric since the 2019 season.
In Rizzo’s absence, the Yankees have been shuffling a few different players around, with even Oswaldo Cabrera beginning to take reps at first during batting practice before games. The Yankees are hoping they don’t have to use Cabrera in that way, but he’ll be ready and prepared if need be.
Luckily, Rizzo isn’t dealing with headaches anymore and is expected to be at the ballpark today against Tampa Bay, per Meredith Marakovits of YES Network. If all goes well, he should be able to return within the next few days, a huge addition to a Yankee team that is slowly getting healthier.