New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has suffered what the team is calling a right lower arm injury and will see team doctors and undergo imaging on Monday. At that point, the Yankees should know more about the severity of the injury and how long Rizzo will be sidelined.
The injury occurred on Sunday night in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ eventual 9-3 loss to the Red Sox. Rizzo tapped a grounder to the right side and then collided with lefty Brennan Bernardino, who was covering first base. Rizzo fell as a result of the collision and landed on his wrist:
Rizzo exited the game and was replaced by pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera.
Rizzo in this, his age-34 season is batting a disappointing .223/.289/.341 with eight home runs in 70 games. By comparison, the average big-league first baseman this season has a slash line of .242/.318/.397. Really, Rizzo hasn’ been his usual self at the plate since suffering a concussion on May 28 of last year and being allowed to play for weeks despite showing symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. Rizzo is owed the balance of a $17 million salary for this season, and his contract includes a $17 million club option or $6 million buyout for 2025.
While Rizzo is out, the Yankees figure to go with DJ LeMahieu at first base and Cabrera at third.
