Anthony Rizzo, an impending free agent and New York Yankees veteran first baseman had a challenging season this year. He returned from a concussion injury and hit .223 with 8 home runs and 28 RBIs across 70 games before suffering from a serious injury in June.
Antony Rizzo was diagnosed with an arm fracture injury and has been in rehabilitation ever since. Recently, Rizzo was assigned a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A by the New York Yankees. While the infielder was initially expected to ramp up slow, his recent progress at infield indicates that his return to major leagues could be preponed.
Anthony Rizzo Starts At First Base In Latest Rehab Outing With Double-A
Anthony Rizzo, who has been sidelined since mid-June due to an arm fracture injury, showed no signs of rust in his rehab assignment with the Yankees’ minor league affiliate team, Double-A Somerset Patriots. He played two games as DH and was expected to hit the field later in the weekend. However, on Tuesday itself, Rizzo got a start at first base. He played four innings at infield and went 2-for-2, including a home run. Earlier, Yankee manager Aaron Boone suggested that Rizzo won’t need much practice infield as the rehab assignment is meant to provide more regular at-bats. And if everything goes according to the play, the infielder could be activated by as early as this weekend.
Meanwhile, rookie prospect Ben Rice, who replaced Anthony Rizzo at first base, has gone cold after a staggering debut. Hence, he will most likely be optioned once Rizzo is ready to come up. Additionally, DJ LeMahieu, who split time at first base alongside Rice, could see more off days as his offensive form is nowhere close to being satisfactory. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” said Boone when asked about roster adjustments following Rizzo’s return. Notably, another infielder, Jon Berti, recovering from a calf strain, played his third rehab game at third base on Tuesday and went 0-for-3. However, due to a setback in his rehab, Berti will require a longer rehab stint compared to Anthony Rizzo. Overall, the New York Yankees infield depth will see multiple upgrades heading into September as the roster limit will also expand, thus strengthening the team’s playoff aspirations.
Luis Gil Eyes A Return On Yankees Rotation Next Week
Meanwhile, starting pitcher Luis Gil who was placed on 15-day IL with lower back sprain, threw a live session at Somerset. His recovery has been faster than earlier anticipated and hence Gil is expected to miss only the required 15 days. Following the live session, Gil might throw a rehab start this weekend and could rejoin the major leagues by next week.
Another relief pitcher, Ian Hamilton, who was placed on 60-day IL with lat strain, made his second rehab appearance on Tuesday with Somerset Patriots. He threw 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, but his rehab plan is still unsorted. He might require a minimum of 2-3 more rehab games to be considered for a return to the Yankee bullpen.
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