The New York Yankees reinstated its veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the major league roster on September 1. Rizzo, who spent 8 weeks in rehab to recover from an arm fracture injury, was directly pencilled in as a regular starting first baseman. Backup Ben Rice was optioned back to Triple-A minor leagues.
However, Anthony Rizzo’s return has been underwhelming. His average is at an all-time career low and an injury free Rizzo is not any batter than his injury days. Regardless, New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson believes a resurgence is on the cards as the first baseman’s at-bats have been encourgaing.
Anthony Rizzo’s Exit Velocity Improves Significantly
An arm fracture injury is never easy to deal with. New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo spent 8 weeks on IL trying to recover fully, and while he is back in the majors, the initial adjustment was tough. He struggled to stay consistent in the batter’s box and missed a barrel full of ordinary pitches. In the first 70 games played this year, Rizzo had an exit velocity of 86.3 mph. The softer contact produced a .224 average, .630 OPS and 8 home runs. Following the return from an arm fracture injury, Rizzo’s stats were largely awful. In the first 8 games post-return, he went 5-for-27 with a .181 average, .501 OPS, and only two extra-base hits. However, the numbers do not do justice to the quality of Rizzo’s at-bats.
James Rowson, New York Yankees hitting coach, clarified that Anthony Rizzo is hitting the ball harder than ever. His exit velocity has improved to 88.9 mph. “He’s hitting the ball hard, so I think we’re on the upswing,” Rowson said. This uptick in hard contact suggests that Rizzo is seeing the ball better and regaining the power that makes him such a valuable asset in the Yankees’ lineup. Notably, Rizzo’s return to form is crucial for the team, which has faced challenges throughout the season. With Ben Rice back at Triple-A, the Yanks have only utility player Oswaldo Cabrera as backup first baseman. Hence, Rizzo’s resurgence could be a positive development. If he can continue to make hard contact and generate power, it could spell a strong finish for the team and set the tone for a bounce-back year in the next season, if he stays, of course.
Yankees Manager Given Damning Verdict On DJ LeMahieu’s Injury
DJ LeMahieu, New York Yankees veteran third baseman, was placed on 10-day IL with a hip injury. With less than three weeks left on the season, a return is practically impossible. And manager Aaron Boone agreed with the same. While he didn’t rule out LeMahieu’s chances of a comeback, he acknowledged that the odds of that happening are very low.
Notably, DJ LeMahieu was struggling with a low season in his all-time career when he was moved to IL. Hence, the Yankees would rather not have him back at all. Jazz Chisholm has been decent at third base, and he is likely to continue for the rest of the year. Additionally, the Yanks reinstated Jon Berti from IL as LeMahieu’s replacement.
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