New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has suffered a fractured arm that will cost him between four and six weeks, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. In other words, he could be out through the entirety of July, depending on how, precisely, he heals.
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.
Here’s how the injury came about:
Rizzo immediately exited the game and was replaced by pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera. He underwent imaging on Monday that revealed the full extent of his injury.
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 a $6 million buyout for 2025.
While Rizzo is out, the Yankees figure to go with DJ LeMahieu at first base and Cabrera at third. Depending on Rizzo’s progress, it’s theoretically possible that the Yankees could look to the trade market for additional help over the coming month-plus.
New York entered Monday with a 50-24 record that put them in 1 1/2 games up in the American League East.
