NEW YORK A key player in the Yankees lineup is making his much anticipated comeback as the postseason competition heats up. With the expansion of rosters from 26 to 28 players, Anthony Rizzo, who has been out since June 18 due to a right forearm fracture, was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Sunday. Additionally, outfielder Duke Ellis and right-handers Ron Marinaccio and Scott Effross were recalled by New York from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Rizzo batted sixth in the Yankees’ 14-7 loss to the Cardinals after starting the game at first base. He scored two runs and had two RBIs while going 2-for-4.
After being sidelined to just 99 games in 2023 due to a concussion he also received in an awkward basepath collision with Padres pitcher Brennan Bernardino, Rizzo broke after colliding with the pitcher on June 16 at first base. During his first 70 games of 2024, Rizzo, 35, was batting.223 with 28 RBIs and eight home homers.
“I feel strong. The strength is fully up to speed. I’m excited to be back,” Rizzo said. “I hope to be a boost of energy and come in and help because this team has played well. We put ourselves in a really good position on Sept. 1 to go out and win a division and set ourselves up nicely for the playoffs.”
The Yankees are hoping that Rizzo reverts to his productive self, the one that helped them win the American League Championship Series in 2022 with 32 home runs. Before suffering the forearm injury, Rizzo’s slash line was.175/.226/.228 in 30 games. Rizzo’s return to health would provide New York’s lineup more depth.
“Hopefully, he can contribute to our lineup,” Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, stated. “We’re seeing some other guys rise up this year and start to contribute. It would give our team a lot more length if Anthony can get it going. “I continue to believe that [the regular striking] is necessary for him to be effective. He seems to be entering this place with some assurance. Clearly an incredible record. This time of year, he is a proven money maker. We’ll see.
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