With the New York Yankees mounting a comeback against the Oakland Athletics on Monday evening, starting first baseman Anthony Rizzo stepped up to the plate in the 7th inning to try and make something happen.
Rizzo smashed a solo home run in the 1st inning to get the Yankees on the scoreboard, but down several runs and a chance to make a difference, he found his way on base, even if it stung a little bit. Rizzo was plunked in the elbow, staying in the game but was clearly in a ton of pain. Trainers helped him down the first baseline while he clutched his arm, waiting for the feeling to return.
“The whole arm just went dead there for a second,” Rizzo said. “I think when we just took the four-run lead there, just being smart. Going up to hit, I would’ve been fine to hit, but just being smart and getting on it right away definitely helped.”
The Yankees let him stay in the game to run the bases but pulled him in the 8th inning, slotting Matt Carpenter in at first base. When you are dealing with an impact player, it is always best to err on the side of caution.
“He got smoked pretty good in the elbow there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Probably started to stiffen up on him. It was kinda like, let’s get him in, get some ice on it and try and nip this now.”
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Rizzo has been a force for the Yankees in the batter’s box:
Rizzo has been phenomenal for the Yankees this season after signing a two-year, $32 million contract with an opt-out after the 2022 campaign. On the season, Rizzo is hitting .222 with a 33.7% on-base rate, 20 homers, and 50 RBIs. He is well on his way to smashing his personal record in the home run category (32).
Hopefully, the injury is nothing serious, and he can make a return on Wednesday against Oakland with Frankie Montas on the mound. The Bombers will need all of their best hitters available to gain leverage over a fantastic starting pitcher.