The Yankees will not carry Anthony Rizzo on their roster for the Division Series against the Royals, the first baseman told reporters, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Rizzo broke two fingers on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch late in the regular season. The veteran said he was hopeful of being available for the AL Championship Series if the Yankees get past Kansas City.
This has been a frustrating year for Rizzo, who missed a couple of months during the summer with a broken right arm. He hasn’t performed well even when healthy, hitting .228/.301/.335 over 375 plate appearances. Those are his worst numbers since his 2011 rookie campaign. It’s the second straight season in which Rizzo has struggled to make a significant offensive impact. He hit only .244/.328/.378 a year ago, in large part because he was apparently playing through post-concussion syndrome for a good portion of the season.
While Rizzo hasn’t played at anywhere near his peak level, he’s still an upgrade on New York’s other options at first base. Rookie Ben Rice primarily handled the job while Rizzo was out with the arm fracture. The 25-year-old has hit .171/.264/.349 through his first 50 MLB games, with almost all of his positive production concentrated in one three-homer game against the Red Sox. Rice’s fantastic numbers in the upper minors hint at a higher offensive ceiling that he has yet to show against MLB pitching.
Rice will probably again be the choice at first base, at least against right-handed pitching. The only other players to take any at-bats at first base this season are DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and J.D. Davis. LeMahieu, who worked on the short side of a platoon with Rice, has been on the injured list for nearly a month because of a hip impingement.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com noted that LeMahieu was taking batting practice and hopes to be on the ALDS roster. Even if he does make it back, the Yanks probably won’t give him a ton of playing time. LeMahieu had a dismal season (.204/.269/.259 in 67 games) and won’t have the luxury of game reps to get up to speed. Cabrera is a light-hitting utility player, while Davis was released in August.
Conclusion:
It’s clear that the Yankees will be facing some challenges in the upcoming Division Series without Anthony Rizzo in their lineup. Despite Rizzo’s struggles this season, he still remains a better option at first base compared to the other choices available to the team. Ben Rice, the rookie who filled in during Rizzo’s absence, has shown flashes of potential but has yet to fully demonstrate it at the major league level.
With DJ LeMahieu’s uncertain status due to injury and the lack of significant offensive production from their other first base options, the Yankees will need to rely on their pitching and defense to carry them through the postseason. Whether they can overcome these obstacles and make a deep playoff run remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure – the road to the World Series just got a bit more challenging for the Yankees.
