Yankees 1B Anthony Rizzo suffers arm fracture after collision with Red Sox reliever
Anthony Rizzo is not expected back any time soon after the New York Yankees’ first baseman collided with Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino on Sunday night.
Rizzo suffered a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm, according to The Athletic. While he doesn’t need surgery, he could miss four to six weeks.
Rizzo, running out a ground-ball, collided with Bernardino at first base after the pitcher dropped a throw in the seventh inning of Boston’s 9-3 win. The two banged hips, but Rizzo landed on his arm and grabbed it while lying on the ground.
“When he didn’t get up right away, I could tell he was in some pain down on the ground,” Aaron Boone, the Yankees manager, said Sunday. “So obviously concern there.”
Boone had hoped that Rizzo avoided a serious injury after an initial low-grade X-ray came back clean on Sunday, but the manager noted that the veteran’s arm felt pain “in a number of places.” Further imaging revealed the fracture on Monday.
With Rizzo bound for the injured list, it’s unclear how the Yankees will fill his roster spot.
DJ LeMahieu can play first, which would create more opportunities for Oswaldo Cabrera at third. At Triple-A, there’s Ben Rice, the Yankees’ 12th-best prospect, and T.J. Rumfield.
Both farmhands are having strong seasons offensively, but neither is on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. A catcher by trade, Rice has limited experience at first and at Triple-A. Rumfield, meanwhile, won a Gold Glove at Double-A last season.
Because LeMahieu can handle the position, the Yankees don’t necessarily have to promote a first baseman. Instead, they could call up Oswald Peraza or add someone like the versatile Kevin Smith to the 40-man roster. Those options wouldn’t excite fans as much as a Rice promotion, but the Yankees would likely only go that route if they’re willing to play the 25-year-old every day.
The Yankees could also acquire a corner infielder before next month’s trade deadline. That possibility existed before Rizzo’s injury, as he and LeMahieu haven’t offered much production at the plate this season.
Rizzo is hitting .223/.289/.341 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and a 79 OPS+. He was benched for two games last week while in the midst of a 1-for-29 slump.
LeMahieu is slashing .188/.304/.188 with zero extra-base hits after making his season debut on May 28 following a foot fracture.
While Rizzo is avoiding surgery, this is the second year in a row that his season has been derailed by a collision at first base. Last year, Rizzo was on defense when San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. bumped into him on a pickoff play.
That left Rizzo with post-concussion symptoms, which he unknowingly played through for two months before getting shut down in August.
Rizzo largely hasn’t been the same player since, though he had insisted he was healthy this season before Sunday’s injury.
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