Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will miss the AL Division Series against Kansas City due to fractured fingers. He is hopeful that his injuries will heal in time for him to return for the Championship Series if the Yankees advance.
Rizzo sustained fractures to his fourth and fifth fingers when he was hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki last Saturday. He noted that he managed to hit and field during practice on Friday.
“You don’t realize which fingers you use with your glove until you have two broken ones,” he said before Saturday’s game.
A three-time All-Star and 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, the 35-year-old had a challenging season, hitting .228 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs over 92 games due to various injuries.
“Trying to push through it, I wouldn’t be able to perform at my best defensively or offensively,” he explained. “I had to be honest with myself.
It’s tough, but this team has a different vibe right now, and I’m confident I can join them hopefully in the next round.” If the Yankees progress, the Championship Series would start on October 14.
Rookie Ben Rice or Oswaldo Cabrera are expected to take over at first base against the Royals. Rice, 25, had a batting average of .171 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 50 games with the Yankees, including a three-homer game against Boston on July 6. As a catcher moving up in the Yankees system, Rice has been seeking advice from Rizzo.
“I’ve been picking his brain about certain situations, like during fungos, asking how to approach a ball hit this way or that,” Rice said.
Cabrera, also 25, batted .247 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 108 games this season.
Rizzo mentioned that the staff has figured out how to best wrap his hand for glove use.
“Catching balls at a high velocity definitely makes it hurt more than it should,” he said. “Talking to the doctors, I’m hopeful that in another week or ten days, I’ll feel significantly better.”
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