It’s well established by now that the New York Yankees are in the midst of one of the worst offensive slumps in baseball. Their collective team average has dipped below .200 in the past month, especially since the captain, Aaron Judge, landed on IL. Moreover, the collective struggles have put the team in the last spot of the American League East division, way far from the playoff wildcard spot.
Almost every bat in the Yankees clubhouse has failed to record consistent hits in the past stretch of roughly around 30 games. However, the batter that has disappointed the most is veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The infielder started the season on a high as he successfully averted a slump when Aaron Judge endured a hip injury in May. However, since a collision with a Padres hitter, he went downhill. Naturally, questions over his health are being raised by the fans.
Aaron Boone Squashes Anthony Rizzo’s Hidden Injury Rumors
More than anyone, Anthony Rizzo’s offensive slump came as the biggest surprise for the Yankees. The former World Champion has a career average of .264 with 294 home runs. However, this season, after an early explosion, he had a collision with Padres hitter Fernando Tatis Jr which ended up injuring his neck. While the baseman avoided an IL stint, his form has been nothing short of awful. Since the day of the alleged accident, his average went down from .326 to .164. Moreover, he has now played over 40 games without hitting a home run, which is the longest homer-less streak of his decade-long career.
It wouldn’t take a genius to decode that Anthony Rizzo is witnessing the worst offensive slumps of his career. His sudden fall has raised a lot of eyebrows. Many fans and analysts have a theory that Rizzo might be dealing with an underlying injury, or maybe the neck injury left some trial that is causing the baseman discomfort. Meanwhile, Jake Storiale of the Talkin Yanks podcast promoted the same question to Yankees manager Aaron Boone during his weekly appearance. Boone affirmed that the baseman is absolutely healthy. Moreover, the skipper added that he has full faith in Rizzo to pull through from this setback. Only time will tell how Rizzo manages to get past something he has never encountered before.
Anthony Rizzo Feeling Frustrated With Yankees Recent Losing Streak
Since the second half kicked off last weekend, the New York Yankees have lost two consecutive series. Meanwhile, after losing to the Angels, the Yank’s struggling baseman Anthony Rizzo looked absolutely frustrated. He said that it was a low point for the team. It is tough to have fun and enjoy the game where the opposition is kicking your teeth. But at the same time, it’s part of baseball.
Anthony Rizzo added that the Yankees are a close unit. They have to figure out a way to come out of this and win. That’s the only solution he can think of. All things considered, the Yanks find themselves in a deep mess. With over 60 games to go, each game will become a must-win matchup. With Aaron Judge still on the sidelines, the Bronx Bombers will certainly have to pull out a rabbit from the hat to secure a playoff berth.
