Anthony Rizzo, the New York Yankees veteran baseman, started off the season on a high. At a time, he was carrying the team’s offense solely on his shoulders. However, tables turned upside down after May as Rizzo witnessed the worst slump of his decade-long career. Since June, the baseman has hit .172 with one homer and .496 OPS in 46 appearances.
An underlying injury likely triggered the slump as Anthony Rizzo bumped his head while colliding with a Padres hitter on May 28. Since then, his form has gone downhill. While Rizzo and Yankees management repeatedly denied any injury concern, the baseman’s demeanor on the field painted a whole different picture. Something was a miss that the Yanks failed to figure out until Wednesday.
Anthony Rizzo Placed On IL After Being Diagnosed With Concussion Symptom
New York Yankees veteran Anthony Rizzo has not been in his usual element for the past two months. His numbers have plunged dramatically, which is becoming a major headache for the New York Yankees. It all went downhill on May 28. Rizzo, while guarding first base, collided with San Diego Padres hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. and injured his head. In the aftermath, he sat out for the next couple of games before eventually returning in full health. However, Rizzo’s form suggested something was a miss. The 34-year-old was struggling, which the Yankees termed a phase. It was only until this Wednesday the club figured out the actual problem. Apparently, Rizzo has been playing through a “likely concussion” for the past two months, which seemingly affected his movements.
Initially, right after the collision, Anthony Rizzo was tested for concussion protocol, which he passed. However, his situation worsened over time. The recently conducted cognitive impairment test revealed that Rizzo had had something called “cascading” concussion symptoms which usually occur weeks after the injury. The test revealed that the first baseman’s reaction time was slower than an average professional baseball player. Moreover, Rizzo also faced minor instances of memory loss, which sounded off the alarm inside the Yankees’ camp. Eventually, they decided to pull off the plug. Anthony Rizzo has entered IL without a timeline. He will undergo concussion tests weekly, including multiple sessions with a neurologist. Meanwhile, utility player Oswaldo Cabrera has been called up from Triple-A as reinforcement.
Yankees Veteran Admits Experiencing Headache And Memory Loss Following Collision With Tatis Jr
Anthony Rizzo spoke about his situation for the first time in two months. He said that, at times, he slept off sober and woke up with a hangover. Moreover, the baseman felt tired more than usual and often forgot the number of outs. Apart from this, the Yankees veteran was missing a lot of loose pitches due to the difference in reaction time. While he failed to point out a specific date when he started experiencing this thing, problems have escalated lately.
It sounded off an alarm, and he figured something was not right. Having said that, Anthony Rizzo feels that the kind of regiment he has been put in, he should be fully healed really soon. The baseman has been prescribed supplements and urged to take as much rest as possible. Meanwhile, while Cabrera has been called as a replacement, he is unlikely to feature in the lineup. Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Jake Bauers and DJ LeMahieu would essentially split time at first base in the near future.
