When the New York Yankees begin the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night, they will not have Anthony Rizzo available to them.
Rizzo was ruled out of the series after the Yankees first baseman suffered two broken fingers in last weekend’s series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ben Rice and Oswaldo Cabrera will be coach Aaron Boone’s starting options in place of Rizzo.
Rizzo suffered broken fingers after being hit by a Ryan Borucki pitch. After being tended to by Yankees head athletic trainer Tim Lentych, Rizzo remained in the game and took first base. When the game reached the top of the eighth, he was replaced on the field.
Afterwards, Boone wasn’t ready to rule Rizzo out for any part of the postseason, as there were hopes that since the Yankees had five full days off before playing again, the fingers might heal quickly enough to allow him to play. to Rizzo.
That wasn’t the case as Rizzo, a four-time Gold Glove winner, said Friday that his hitting and catching ability isn’t where he needs it right now.
“If I got through it, I couldn’t be my best defensive or offensive self,” Rizzo said. “I had to be honest with myself, and it’s hard, but this team has a different aura right now and a different energy that I trust and I hope I can join them in the next round.”
Earlier this season, Rizzo missed 62 games after fracturing his right forearm during a collision with Boston Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino in June. Since returning to the lineup on September 1, he finished the regular season batting .380 with eight hits and seven RBIs.
Rizzo has been hit eight times in 335 at-bats this season and 222 times in his 14-year career, the eighth most in MLB history.
If the Yankees beat the Royals, the American League Championship Series will begin on October 14.