The New York Yankees have been without first baseman Anthony Rizzo since the last weekend of the regular season. In that final series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the veteran slugger was hit by a pitch and suffered not one but two fractured fingers.
As a result, Rizzo didn’t play in the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals, and the team used a combination of Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti to make up for his absence.
In a shocking move, however, Rizzo showed enough to impress Yankees manager Aaron Boone this past week, earning him a spot on the 26-man roster to face the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Championship Series.
He is one of two members of the Yankees returning to the roster, alongside pitcher Marcus Stroman. Outfielder Duke Ellis and fellow first baseman Ben Rice were left off the roster.
The Yankees are trusting Rizzo in a big spot
But that’s not all: not only did the Yankees make Rizzo part of the group that will go to battle against the Guardians, but they are also starting him at first base for the ALCS opener.
“Not only was Rizzo added to the ALCS roster, he’s scheduled to start at 1st base and bat 8th in Game 1 tonight,” Yankees insider Jack Curry reported via X on Monday afternoon.
Boone apparently trusts Rizzo’s fingers enough to give him competitive at-bats and strengthen the bottom of the Yankees lineup.
The 2024 campaign hasn’t been the most productive in Rizzo’s career. He slashed .228/.301/.335 with just eight home runs in 92 games.
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He has plenty of postseason experience, including winning the 2016 World Series against Cleveland as a member of the Chicago Cubs.
The Yankees are hoping Rizzo can somehow regain his best form, even if it sounds unlikely at this point.