Latest timeline on Anthony Rizzo’s return to Yankees from broken forearm: ‘Shocked’
Anthony Rizzo said he was “shocked” when he found out he had suffered a fractured right forearm after a collision at first base while trying to beat out a grounder Sunday in Boston.
The first baseman said he was fully confident he’d return this season and the Yankees announced it would be roughly eight weeks until he can play in games.
Rizzo added the injury would cause “probably at least four to five weeks with no activity.”
That timeline would bring Rizzo to roughly mid-August.
The injury is another blow to Rizzo, who turns 35 in August and has been hard-hit by injuries each of the last two seasons.
This year, though, he’d been relatively healthy — but unproductive.
Since May 15, Rizzo has a .431 OPS and just three extra-base hits in 28 games.
Things were no better in June, with a .373 OPS in 13 games.
Aaron Boone put Rizzo on the bench for two games in the middle of the slump, but it didn’t get him going offensively.
Rizzo suffered the injury when he fell hard after colliding with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino.
He called it a “weird play” and he knew something was wrong immediately.
“I tried to avoid contact and fell and hit my arm,’’ Rizzo said Tuesday in The Bronx after being placed on the 10-day IL. “I grabbed my wrist right away. I thought it was my wrist.”
Instead, it was his forearm.
“I was shocked,” Rizzo said. “I’ve been hurt and felt pain before, but a broken bone is devastating. This one felt different.”
Asked if he expected to fully heal without surgery in time to return during the regular season, Rizzo said, “Yeah.”
Without Rizzo, the Yankees will use DJ LeMahieu at first base, as well as Ben Rice, who was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and made his MLB debut at first on Tuesday night in The Bronx.
Rice has spent most of his career as a catcher, but has played some first base this season and may work with Rizzo at the spot.
“I hope he runs with it and does well,’’ Rizzo said.
The Yankees have a $17 million team option for Rizzo for next season that comes with a $6 million buyout.
He was solid after coming to the Yankees in a trade from the Cubs at the deadline in 2021 and again the following season, but Rizzo’s production dipped and he was limited to 99 games after suffering a concussion during a collision in May of last year and has struggled for much of this season.
Bench coach Brad Ausmus, filling in for Aaron Boone in the dugout Tuesday with Boone attending his son’s graduation, called Rizzo’s absence a “huge loss, from a clubhouse perspective, as much as on the field.
He’s as much a part of the character on this team as anyone.”
