Anthony Rizzo isn’t yet being evaluated or tested whether he can play.
The New York Yankees are a few days out from their first playoff game thanks to a first-round bye. New York face the winner of the American League Wild Card series between the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles. In the meantime, Yankees manager Aaron Boone clarified to the media that he isn’t “testing anything” regarding first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s readiness to play, via SNY. Rizzo sustained two fractured fingers after being hit by a pitch on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Boone’s messaging was similar right after the injury, and called it a “pain tolerance thing.”
“I don’t want to jump to anything,” Boone said. “We’ll see how he responds in the next several days before we kick this thing off in a week.”
Rizzo was seen with a brace on his hand watching, not participating, during practice out in the infield with three other players taking grounders.
The Yankees first playoff game is scheduled for Saturday, October 5. New York clinched home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed in the American League.
Pitching must carry Yankees postseason, not Aaron Judge
The American League’s playoff teams are stacked with next-level pitching.
Detroit Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (18-4, 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 228 Ks) has been one of baseball’s best pitchers, and Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (47 saves, 0.61 ERA, 0.66 WHIP) is a frontrunner for AL Cy Young. Houston Astros have a great one-two punch between LHP Framber Valdez (15-7, 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 169 Ks) and closer Josh Hader (34 saves, 2.70 ERA, 0.95 WHIP).
The Yankees need everything they can get out of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Luis Gil. Cole has rebounded after slow start the season with 1.93 ERA in August and 2.53 ERA in September. Rodon has also strengthened his game in September, pitching 28.2 innings with a 2.20 ERA and .202 OBA. Gil would love to find his May numbers in October. That month, he went 6-0 with a 0.70 ERA and .109 OBA.
“Judge is the only Yankees batter who is hitting over .300 (he is hitting .325 currently). Soto, meanwhile, is hitting a respectable .288. No other qualified players in the lineup are hitting over .260 (Jazz Chisholm Jr. has hit .262 since being traded to the Yankees but is hitting .253 overall between New York and the Miami Marlins).”
And Mistretta went on to say:
“In other words, if teams pitch carefully to Judge and Soto, one has to wonder if any player will be able to step up and make opponents pay on a consistent basis. In fact, teams may even work around Soto and Judge if other Yankees fail to produce.”
The Yankees’ pitching and role players must step up as Judge and Soto can’t win an entire series or postseason on their own.
