Anthony Rizzo, rehabbing from fractured forearm, to be in New York on Thursday
Anthony Rizzo of the Yankees looks on during the fifth inning against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on June 18. Credit: Jim McIsaac
WASHINGTON — Anthony Rizzo’s production at the plate wasn’t great before he fractured his right forearm on June 16.
But the combination of Ben Rice and DJ LeMahieu as Rizzo’s platoon replacement at first base has been so poor that Rizzo’s return is eagerly awaited by the Yankees and their fans.
Rizzo will be in New York on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees faced the Nationals on Wednesday night.
The Yankees are off on Thursday before they open a weekend series against St. Louis on Friday.
Rizzo has played in four minor-league rehab games, the last two at first base. After hitting a home run for Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, Rizzo went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts and played five innings at first on Wednesday. He was due up to lead off the bottom of the fifth when the game was halted by a rain delay.
“Definitely excited to get back, whenever that is,” Rizzo said before Wednesday’s game. “Just taking it day-by-day.”
Does all this mean Rizzo will be in the lineup at Yankee Stadium on Friday night?
“I don’t know,” Boone said. “We’ll get through today with him. I know he’ll be in New York [Thursday]. So then we’ll move forward [with] how we’re going to do [it] on the weekend.”
Rizzo unexpectedly graduated from designated hitter to first base on Tuesday because he “basically got cleared,” Boone said. “He actually had more tests the other day, showed continued healing.”
Rizzo, 35, was batting .223 with eight home runs and a .630 OPS in 70 games before he was injured in a collision at first base with Boston pitcher Brennan Bernardino.
The Yankees have missed at least the potential Rizzo and his 303 career home runs could bring to the lineup.
LeMahieu, who started at first against Washington lefthander MacKenzie Gore, was batting .200 with two home runs and a .523 OPS.
Of LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion, Boone said: “The track record matters. Obviously, behind the eight-ball a little bit from an injury standpoint to start the year. So you want to let things really declare themselves to where you’re making sound decisions moving forward.”
Rice was batting .178 with seven home runs and a .523 OPS.
Effross knocking on door
Reliever Scott Effross, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, was bypassed for a potential call-up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday when the Yankees designated Michael Tonkin for assignment and called up Phil Bickford.
Effross went into Wednesday with a 1.69 ERA in eight August appearances for Scranton.
“I think he’s been doing a pretty good job now for really a couple weeks,” Boone said. “Stuff’s trending up, so he’s knocking on the door. It’s been tough to carve out a spot right now, but feel like he’s in a pretty good spot.”
Schmidt completes second rehab outing
Clarke Schmidt allowed one run in three innings and struck out five (58 pitches) for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his second rehab outing.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
