The New York Yankees were put under pressure for the first time in two months during the home series against LA Dodgers. With generational star Juan Soto out due to forearm inflammation, the rest of the hitters failed to step as the Dodgers took away the series this weekend.
Regardless, the New York Yankees had their moment of redemption in the series finale on Sunday when a 6-4 win put Yanks back on the winning bandwagon. However, the starting lineup for the game didn’t feature veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo as manager Aaron Boone confirmed that he was being dropped amid mounting offensive struggles.
Aaron Boone To Bench Anthony Rizzo Vs Kansas City Royals
The New York Yankees are facing a critical decision regarding the future of their struggling first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. As his offensive woes continue to mount, there is growing speculation that the team might bench Rizzo for multiple games in an effort to help him regain his form and provide a spark to the lineup. Rizzo was scratched off the Sunday game lineup against LA Dodgers as DJ LeMahieu replaced him at first base, with Oswaldo Cabrera taking over third base reigns. That being said, manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Rizzo could be benched during the series opener against the Kansas City Royals as well. “He and I will get together to come up with a plan,” Boone said during the pre-game press meet.
Notably, Anthony Rizzo, coming off a concussion setback, started the 2024 MLB season well. However, the first baseman witnessed a downward trend during June as he went 1-for-29 with one walk, three strikeouts, six flyouts, six popouts, and 13 groundouts. Not only that, the infielder’s .571 OPS is the third worst in MLB among players with at least 400 plate appearances. His .284 slugging percentage against starting pitching is also the worst for any qualified hitter in the big leagues. However, regardless of the slump, manager Aaron Boone is confident of Anthony Rizzo bouncing back with necessary adjustments. He stated that Rizzo is working closely with hitting coach James Rowson behind the scenes to get out of the slump. And it has become more of a physiological thing at this stage. “I sense he’s doing pretty well through it. I think he’s feeling it a little bit, and I’m sure he has thoughts,” Boone said.
Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham Lift Yankees To A Heroic Win Vs Dodgers
Despite their backs being against the wall after the series loss, the New York Yankees came roaring back in the series finale against the mighty LA Dodgers. Aaron Judge extended his sublime form with yet another solo home run in the eighth inning before stacking 2 RBIs to add to the Yanks’ early lead.
Trent Grisham, meanwhile, battled unsettling crowd chants to slam a three-run bomb as the Yankees went 5-3 in the sixth innings. Additionally, Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver closed things down effortlessly as the Yanks earned their moment of redemption following a brutal and rare series loss at home.
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