After today’s game against the Cardinals, the Yankees announced that right-hander Will Warren and catcher/first baseman Ben Rice had been optioned to the minor leagues. The Yankees are “likely” to activate veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo off the 60-day Injured List tomorrow, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, which suggests that Rizzo’s relegation to the minors is tied to Rizzo’s expected return from the IL. In order to make room for Rizzo’s return on the 40-man roster, the team must make room.
An active roster move like optioning Rice wasn’t necessary to accommodate Rizzo, as rosters are set to expand from 26 to 28 as the calendar flips to September tomorrow. With that being said, the return of the 35-year-old from the injured list seemed all but guaranteed to wipe out the playing time that Rice has been afforded since Rizzo went down with a broken arm back in June. In 175 trips to the plate since then, the rookie has struggled at the plate with a slash line of just .175/.259/.356 (75 wRC+) capped off by a brutal month of August where he’s hit just .057/.171/.057 in 13 games.
Even Rizzo’s numbers from his career-worst season before his injury pale in comparison to those numbers. Before being placed on the injured list in June, the veteran slugger battled to a slash line of.223/.289/.341 with a wRC+ of 80 in 70 games. This was by far the poorest offensive effort he has put up since a 49-game stint with the Padres during his rookie season back in 2011. The Yankees undoubtedly hope that the esteemed veteran, who spent ten years with the Cubs from 2012 to 2021 and made three All-Star appearances while registering a 131 wRC+, can regain his form in the latter part of the season and produce numbers that are closer to the Since he started playing with the Yankees in the 2021 season, he has recorded a line of.238/.337/.446 (116 wRC+).
New York has a $17MM club option to retain Rizzo’s services until 2025. This year’s postseason and final stretch will likely force Rizzo to choose down his option in favour of a $6MM buyout, making him a free agent for the third time in his career unless he puts on an incredible show. After healing from his broken arm and recovering more than a year from the concussion that ended his 2023 career, Rizzo’s performance in the upcoming month will likely have a significant impact on his chances of being a free agent this fall.
Also departing the Yankees’ roster alongside Rice is Warren, a rookie right-hander who made his fifth start with the club earlier today. Warren’s first stint in the big leagues ends with a 9.55 ERA in 21 2/3 innings of work, and the righty will return to Triple-A in hopes of sorting things out in an environment with less pressure. Warren’s departure leaves a vacant spot in the club’s rotation, but with a day off on Thursday the club won’t need a fifth starter again until September 10 against the Royals. Warren’s departure creates room for the Yankees to add to pitchers to the active roster tomorrow alongside Rizzo and a second hitter: one to replace Warren and one to occupy the expanded roster spot created tomorrow.
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