Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Judge have maintained an elite friendship over the years while playing for the New York Yankees. When the newly minted captain navigated free agency last season, Rizzo also refused to sign an extension contract with the Bronx Bombers. Rizzo’s stance was crystal clear. He would only be on a team with Aaron Judge on it.
Fortunately, the Yankees managed to retain Rizzo and Judge last off-season. Having said that, the duo had a relatively tougher season in 2023. Both hitters struggled with injuries and missed a significant half of the season, which in turn jeopardized the Bombers’ playoff push. Having said that, ahead of the decisive 2024 season, the Yankee captain lent a helping hand to his friend Rizzo as the latter aimed at an awe-inspiring return next year.
Anthony Rizzo Spotted Training With Yankees Aaron Judge’s Personal Hitting Coach!
Explosive first baseman Anthony Rizzo scaled new heights with the New York Yankees in recent years. He anchored the team’s hitting lineup during Aaron Judge’s absence. However, an unfortunate collision with a Padres hitter led to a concussion injury, which worsened over time. Rizzo ultimately failed to recover and was shut down towards the last stretch. Needless to say, the baseman’s absence hurt the Bronx Bombers campaign. Having said that, Rizzo has been making good progress ever since the diagnosis and is taking a fresh approach to his offseason training regimen. He turned to a close confidant for Aaron Judge to seek help.
In a video doing rounds on social media, Anthony Rizzo is seen in the batting cage with a personal hitting coach of Aaron Judge. The coach is seen advising Rizzo on his stance and overall stride. The baseman is also seen taking a couple of swings towards the end of the short video footage. It is also claimed that the coach seen in the clip allegedly helped Judge with his swing in the 2017 season. Having said that, it’s still unclear to what extent Judge’s hitting coach has remained involved with Rizzo this off-season. But one thing is certain: the Yankee baseman’s recovery path remains in the right direction. Earlier, the infielder’s manager confirmed the same and said that Rizzo is doing great since the off-season kicked off. Indeed, the fans should expect Anthony Rizzo to return to full health for the 2024 season opening day.
How A Late Concussion Diagnosis Jeopardised Rizzo’s 2023 Season
Anthony Rizzo was on his way to record his career-best season in 2023. However, an unfortunate collision with a Padres hitter changed the course of the season for the first baseman. The Yankees cleared him to play as Rizzo’s concussion tests came back negative. While the infielder struggled on the plate, the club’s medical team failed to pick it up.
They didn’t conduct any routine tests over the course of two months. It was only after Anthony Rizzo approached with memory loss episodes that the Yankees ordered a concussion test, which ruled the obvious. Rizzo was subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, which led to a permuted end of the baseman’s 2023 season.
