The New York Yankees could be getting their first baseman back from injury very soon, as Anthony Rizzo is progressing well in his rehab from a fractured arm and told reporters he could be playing in rehab games very soon, which will lead to the team making a difficult decision over who should receive the bulk of the playing time at the corner position.
Yankees: Anthony Rizzo could be returning very soon
According to The New York Post, Rizzo could be playing in rehab games as soon as next week if his next arm scan shows that the fracture has healed. Before the injury, he was struggling badly at the plate, hitting .175 over his last 30 games and owning a .630 OPS on the season. He acknowledged that he needs to perform better upon his return.
“I’ve got to come back and produce,” Rizzo said via The New York Post. “It’s not like I’m coming back having hit 25 homers with a bunch of RBIs and a good average. I wasn’t playing like the best version of myself before I got hurt.”
Rizzo’s injury came at a time of massive struggles for him
Rizzo has been one of the game’s worst-performing players since late May of 2023 when he suffered a neck injury after colliding with Fernando Tatis Jr. in a game against the San Diego Padres. Since June 1 of last season, Rizzo has only 88 hits, which is the second-lowest among all first basemans with at least 450 plate appearances. In that same span, his wRC+ (66) is second worst at his position and his nine home runs are the fewest among all first basemen.
During his absence, rookie Ben Rice has gotten the opportunity to make a name for himself as the possible first baseman of the future. After a hot start that included a three-homer game against the Boston Red Sox, the rookie has struggled, batting just .136 with a 30.9% strikeout rate over his last 20 games. Perhaps a stint in the minor league could benefit the left-handed hitting first baseman, as he has now gotten a taste of big-league pitching and can make the adjustments necessary to become a more consistent hitter.
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Rizzo might be the frontrunner to start at first base when he returns
Despite Rizzo’s struggles this season, he might earn his starting job back the moment he returns thanks to Rice’s struggles. DJ LeMahieu has started to hit better of late but has had a rough campaign overall this season. If LeMahieu was given a long leash to start turning things around, then Rizzo deserves to have that same treatment.
In addition, Rizzo’s veteran presence and clubhouse leadership are very important to the team, and could be even more important as the Yankees are in a tight division race with the Baltimore Orioles with just over 40 games left to play.
Rizzo turning things around at the plate would be massive for the Yankees as the infield as a whole has been an underwhelming group all season long. By the end of the month and into September, his impending return could provide a spark if he returns to his old form.
