Anthony Rizzo out 4 to 6 weeks with fractured arm in Yankees’ injury fiasco
Anthony Rizzo’s collision and tumble at first base Sunday night is going to cost him extended time.
The Yankees’ veteran first baseman underwent testing Monday that revealed a fracture in his right arm, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
The injury is expected to keep Rizzo out four to six weeks, as The Athletic first reported Monday night.
Rizzo suffered the injury after colliding with Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino on a play at first base, after which he fell to the ground and landed on his right arm.
He stayed on the ground in pain as he was tended to by manager Aaron Boone and two trainers and then left the game for a pinch runner.
“Obviously, concerned there,” Boone said after Sunday’s game at Fenway Park.
“Just certain movements, even out there [on the field], kind of knew right away he was in some pain with just little movements.”
The 34-year-old had been scuffling at the plate before starting to see some improved at-bats in the games leading up to Sunday.
Overall, Rizzo was batting .223 with a .630 OPS in 70 games.
“Once we get an idea of what’s going on with him, he’ll be right back out there doing his thing,” said Aaron Judge, Rizzo’s closest friend on the team.
“Past couple games, past week or so, the guy’s been swinging the bat well, coming up with some big hits.
“We’re going to miss him, but the first thing is health.”
Without Rizzo, the Yankees appear likely to move third baseman DJ LeMahieu across the diamond to see regular action at first base and have Oswaldo Cabrera fill in at third.
The Yankees have hot-hitting catcher/first base prospect Ben Rice at Triple-A, but he only just got there on June 5 and is a natural catcher who has added occasional first-base duties to his repertoire.
The Yankees may want him to get more at-bats at Triple-A before calling him up, and only if he were going to get regular playing time in the big leagues.
In 60 games this season — 49 at Double-A Somerset and 11 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — the left-handed hitting Rice is batting .275 with a .925 OPS and 15 home runs.
In the interim, the Yankees could opt to call up someone such as Oswald Peraza to provide further insurance at third base.
This marks the second straight year that a collision at first base will cost Rizzo significant time.
Last season, he was playing first base when Fernando Tatis Jr. ran into his neck getting back to the base on a pickoff throw.
Rizzo played for two more months, with declining results before he was finally diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome at the beginning of August, which ultimately ended his season.
Before Rizzo’s arm fracture, the Yankees’ costliest injuries this season had been Gerrit Cole missing nearly three months with elbow nerve inflammation (he is set to make his season debut on Wednesday) and LeMahieu missing nearly two months with a non-displaced fracture in his foot.
The Yankees will now be banking on LeMahieu picking up his production at the plate after a slow start to his season. After returning in May, he is batting just .188 with a .491 OPS and no extra-base hits in 15 games.