A Damaged Arm Lands Struggling Anthony Rizzo on the Injured Checklist

Even earlier than he fractured his proper arm throughout Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Purple Sox, Anthony Rizzo had already endured a tough 12 1/2 months. His 2023 season was wrecked by the aftereffects of a Might 28 collision with Fernando Tatis Jr., which manifested themselves as post-concussion signs that sapped his manufacturing earlier than he was shut down in early August; he didn’t play once more that season. He began slowly this 12 months, and whereas his bat perked up in late April, he fell right into a deep droop at first of June and was benched throughout the Yankees’ latest collection towards the Dodgers. He confirmed just a few optimistic indicators upon returning to the lineup, however now he’s anticipated to overlook the following eight weeks.

Rizzo’s damage occurred throughout the seventh inning of Sunday night time’s sport at Fenway Park. After Alex Verdugo and Giancarlo Stanton each singled off pitcher Brennan Bernardino to start out the inning, Rizzo grounded to the precise aspect of the infield. First baseman Dominic Smith ranged over to subject the ball and began to throw to second base earlier than realizing he had no shot at forcing Stanton out. He then threw to Bernardino — or somewhat, behind him. The pitcher dropped the ball as he bought to the bag, the place a sprinting Rizzo swerved to his proper to keep away from a full-on collision. He misplaced his steadiness and went down laborious, rolling over on his proper arm. He remained on the bottom in apparent ache whereas being tended to by the Yankees’ athletic trainers, then left the sector and was changed by pinch-runner Oswaldo Cabrera.

Preliminary imaging with a fluoroscope at Fenway Park was adverse, however additional testing in New York on Monday revealed that Rizzo had fractured the radial neck of his proper arm — that’s, the a part of the radius close to the elbow. Such accidents are extra widespread in kids than adults, and infrequently happen on a traumatic fall onto an outstretched hand, which, bingo. Such fractures are normally not displaced, and that might look like the case with Rizzo, who gained’t want surgical procedure. Whereas preliminary stories positioned his absence in a four-to-six week window, on Tuesday the Yankees mentioned that Rizzo will want about eight weeks earlier than returning to video games, with the primary baseman saying he was advised it’ll be “in all probability 4, 5 weeks” of no baseball exercise.

Eight weeks would put the 34-year-old first baseman’s return in mid-August, a few weeks previous the July 30 commerce deadline. Rizzo’s flagging bat had already elevated the probability the Yankees would search to amass another from exterior the group, although all the infield in addition to shortstop (the place Anthony Volpe has performed properly) is a significant space of concern, and now the addition of one other first baseman could also be a necessity.

Extra on that scenario beneath, however first, a have a look at Rizzo. Right here’s what I wrote about his scenario final August:

[U]p till his collision with Tatis, which occurred throughout a pickoff play, he had hit .304/.376/.505, good for a 146 wRC+, second on the group behind Decide. He left that sport with what the Yankees known as a neck damage and handed the MLB-mandated concussion exams, however missed three video games earlier than returning. Since then, his season has gone down the tubes, as he’s hit .172/.271/.225 with one homer in 192 plate appearances, along with his batting common, slugging proportion, and 43 wRC+ all rating final within the majors among the many 168 certified hitters.

Rizzo rehabbed to the purpose the place a return was attainable, however didn’t play once more because the Yankees light from the playoff image; he completed at .244/.328/.378 (100 wRC+) with 0.9 WAR. As for this season, he began out properly sufficient in April, however his manufacturing plummeted in Might, then went into right into a free fall in June:

That’s a 5-for-48 displaying with 5 walks, a double, and a homer in June, together with a 1-for-34 skid from June 1–11. A more in-depth have a look at Rizzo’s Statcast numbers present that he wasn’t hitting the ball a lot tougher in April than in Might, and so his early slash line included some smoke and mirrors:

Rizzo’s general numbers, dangerous as they’re, are fairly aligned along with his Statcast anticipated ones. His common exit velocity locations within the eleventh percentile amongst certified hitters, his barrel price within the fifteenth, and his hard-hit price within the seventeenth; his bat pace is down within the eighth percentile. It’s robust to search out positives in that efficiency, which now features a career-low stroll price and a career-high chase price (34.5%). He’s beneath alternative stage, with -0.4 WAR.

With Rizzo in that 1-for-34 skid (which included only one stroll and three strikeouts), supervisor Aaron Boone sat him for the collection finale towards the Dodgers on June 12, and the following day as properly. “You play this sport lengthy sufficient, you already know, the sport’ll convey you to your knees at occasions,” Boone mentioned on the time, expressing his empathy for Rizzo.

In that media session, Boone hesitated to attract a connection between the tip of Rizzo’s 2023 along with his struggles in ’24, saying, “I’d somewhat concentrate on what we’ve seen this 12 months.” He added, “I believe typically while you’re making little changes they usually don’t all the time take straight away, you go on the market and… possibly you revert again to one thing completely different. And also you break down a number of the work. It’s robust, particularly while you’ve been a profitable participant, like Anthony has been all through his profession.”

After sitting for 2 days, Rizzo returned to the lineup. He collected 4 hits in a three-day span towards the Royals and Purple Sox from June 12–14 — as many as he had within the earlier two weeks — together with a homer on June 13, his first since Might 10. He went hitless in his last two video games earlier than getting damage.

Perhaps Rizzo was in a garden-variety droop, and possibly the day without work will assist him reset. However given how gradual each he and the Yankees had been to attach his struggles final summer time to the aforementioned collision, I’m a bit hesitant to grant anybody concerned — the tough-as-nails first baseman who leads all energetic gamers in being hit by pitches (219), or the group whose administration of accidents over the previous half-decade has raised some eyebrows — the good thing about the doubt.

Regardless, the Yankees already had a gap at first base, production-wise, and now they they’ve a deeper one. DJ LeMahieu, who’s been taking part in usually at third base and recognizing at first since coming off the injured record in late Might, will spend at the least a few of his time at first, seemingly towards lefties. The 35-year-old LeMahieu missed the primary two months of the season as a consequence of a nondisplaced fracture in his proper foot, suffered when he fouled a pitch off of it in a March 16 exhibition. He has but to get going offensively, hitting .176/.283/.176 (45 wRC+) in 61 PA. His Statcast numbers are a bit higher (.338 xSLG), however then how may they not be? LeMahieu completed with a mediocre .243/.327/.390 (101 wRC+) line with 15 homers in 562 PA final 12 months, although he did put up a 129 wRC+ after the All-Star break in comparison with a 77 earlier than, when he was nonetheless coping with the results of a proper large toe damage. The Yankees may definitely use a few of that second-half magic.

When LeMahieu performs first base, Cabrera will seemingly play third. The 25-year-old switch-hitting utilityman has struggled to duplicate the spark he equipped the group in late 2022; this 12 months, he’s hitting .237/.275/.350 (79 wRC+) with 5 homers in 189 PA. Utilityman Jon Berti, who was supposed to supply one other different at third, is on the 60-day IL as a consequence of a high-grade left calf pressure he suffered in late Might, and isn’t eligible to return till late July.

The Yankees crammed Rizzo’s roster spot by calling up Ben Rice, a 25-year-old lefty-swinging catcher/first baseman who may get an extended look earlier than the deadline. Drafted out of Dartmouth within the twelfth spherical in 2021, Rice misplaced all of that season and a lot of the one earlier than it to the pandemic, so previous to being drafted, he’d performed practically thrice as many video games in summer time school leagues as within the Ivy League. After hitting a mixed .324/.434/.615 (171 wRC+) throughout three ranges final 12 months, Rice hit .261/.382/.511 (151 wRC+) with 12 homers in 49 video games at Double-A Somerset to start out this season, then .333/.440/.619 (172 wRC+) with three homers in 11 video games upon being promoted to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

Regardless of these gaudy 2023 stats, Rice positioned simply twenty ninth on the Yankees’ Prime Prospects record in December, with a 35+ FV grade. A lot of that needed to do with skepticism relating to his protection behind the plate, which hasn’t improved. Utilizing the one-knee stance, Rice is sweet at pitch blocking, however in 28 video games at catcher this 12 months, he’s allowed 54 stolen bases — practically two per sport — whereas throwing out simply 10% of would-be base thieves, and the numbers had been equally dangerous final 12 months. In up to date notes that he supplied me, Eric Longenhagen known as Rice, “nonetheless a properly beneath common general defender with points receiving and (particularly) throwing. [He] typically mishandles the change and doesn’t even try a throw down.”

Offensively, Rice has common uncooked energy and probably a median hit software, which is sufficient to make a catcher an fascinating prospect, however doesn’t go very far for a primary baseman. In his prospect writeup, Longehagen praised Rice’s “large time lefty bat pace,” and added, “The ferocity in his swing and the energy and adaptability in his decrease half are all thrilling, and Rice may find yourself having a two or three 12 months peak within the mould of a Jared Walsh or Justin Bour, or maybe be deployed the way in which Blake Sabol was in 2023.”

Nonetheless, whereas Rice “murders fastballs, typically on time to drag them with energy, [he is] allergic to spin, hitting .200 versus breakers this 12 months.” He’s weak to pitches within the lower-and-away nook of the strike zone, swinging over softer stuff in that space, and failing to trace the baseball by way of contact.

As for the protection at first base, at 6-foot-1, 215 kilos, Rice has the scale for the place, however he’s performed simply 55 video games there professionally, together with 22 this 12 months. His footwork continues to be tough, and through Gerrit Cole’s most up-to-date rehab begin, Rice whiffed on a throw.

The Yankees anticipate some rising pains, as infield coach Travis Chapman advised the New York Each day Information’ Gary Phillips:

“He’s good. He’s keen to be taught. I’ll take that to start out. The truth is he must get snug on the market and get used to taking part in there part-time, each day, each time [Aaron Boone] places him within the lineup, and we’ll proceed to work on it. Hopefully we’ll see progress all through these first a number of weeks, and hopefully we see an superior man on the market making the opposite guys round him higher.”

Rizzo, a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, pledged to assist Rice proceed to be taught the place and to interrupt down how opposing groups are pitching him. “Alternatives within the large leagues are usually not straightforward to return by, so hopefully he runs with it and does very well,” mentioned Rizzo.

Rice made his main league debut towards the Orioles on Tuesday night time, going 1-for-4 with a third-inning single off starter Albert Suárez:

That good second was overshadowed by Aaron Decide getting hit on the left hand with a 94-mph Suárez fastball earlier within the inning. Decide got here round to attain, then returned to middle subject for the highest of the fourth, however was changed by pinch-hitter Trent Grisham within the backside of the body. He went to a neighborhood hospital for imaging, and mentioned afterward that CT and X-ray imaging got here again clear. He added that he may grip a bat and hoped to be in Wednesday night time’s lineup towards the Orioles.

Trying forward, if the Yankees do dip into the commerce market, first basemen who might be accessible embody the Mets’ Pete Alonso (in the event that they’re unable to take care of their present surge and may abdomen the blowback of dealing him throughout city), the Marlins’ Josh Bell (who was traded on the 2022 and ’23 deadlines), and the Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker (in the event that they don’t warmth up), all of whom will hit free company this fall. Tigers outfielder Mark Canha, additionally a pending free agent, can play first as properly. With so many groups so near playoff spots, nevertheless, sellers might be in brief provide, and it seemingly gained’t be till after the All-Star break — or even perhaps later — earlier than it’s clear who’s keen to deal.

All of which is to say that the Yankees must must hope that one among their inside choices helps to fill the void. The excellent news is that the group has the AL’s finest file (51-24) regardless of getting little or no offense from first base up to now. The dangerous information is that in the end they’re going to want some, and it’s something however clear from the place that’s going to return.