WASHINGTON, D.C. – After playing four innings at first base and homering at Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, Anthony Rizzo found himself back at the position on Wednesday.
The return to the field came sooner than expected, as Rizzo, recovering from a fractured arm, was initially supposed to DH until this weekend. However, Aaron Boone said the plan changed after more tests showed “continued healing” in Rizzo’s arm. Doctors gave him the go ahead to field, so he dusted off his glove.
Asked if Rizzo is on an accelerated timeline, Boone said, “Possibly. I would just say he started playing the field quicker than we thought.”
Does that mean Rizzo could return to the Yankees sooner than expected too?
“I don’t know,” Boone said of potentially activating Rizzo this weekend.
The manager added that the plan is for the veteran to be in New York on Thursday. From there, the Yankees will discuss Rizzo’s next steps.
Rizzo has been out since June 16. Prior to getting hurt on a collision, the left-handed hitter was slashing .223/.289/.341 with eight home runs, 28 RBI and an 80 wRC+.
Those are hardly numbers to get excited about, but they’re better than what the Yankees have gotten out of DJ LeMahieu. While Rizzo’s return will likely force Ben Rice back to the minors, LeMahieu could lose considerable playing time.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Boone said when asked how Rizzo will impact LeMahieu, but he added that Rizzo will play.
LeMahieu has become the Yankees’ go-to first baseman with lefties on the mound, a frequent occurrence lately. But he was batting just .149/.228/.194 against them prior to Wednesday’s start against Nationals southpaw MacKenzie Gore. He also had a .200/.267/.256 slash line and a 50 wRC+ overall.
“I wanted to have a little more balance in there,” Boone said of the decision to start LeMahieu on Wednesday. “Obviously, I got Austin [Wells] back in there. With righties coming this weekend, I’ll likely have Rice back in there Friday. I feel like scratching the surface, [Gore is] a little more neutral probably, which is why we have four lefties in there tonight. I’m just trying to balance it up and give what I think is the best chance tonight.”
With regards to Gore being neutral, righties were hitting .282/.355/.409 against him this season and .262/.335/.425 for his career.
Lefties were hitting .305/.378/.484 against him this season and .289/.383/.443 for his career.
Asked at what points LeMahieu’s poor results against lefties matter — it’s not like the Yankees are getting a platoon advantage here — Boone said the two-time batting champ’s “track record matters.” He also noted the broken foot that delayed the start of the 36-year-old’s season.
“Obviously, [he was] behind the eight ball a little bit from an injury standpoint to start the year,” Boone said. “You want to let things really declare themselves to where you’re making sound decisions moving forward.”
REHABS AND REINFORCEMENTS
Boone said that Clarke Schmidt (lat) will “probably” make another rehab start after making his second one on Wednesday. He also said that Luis Gil (lower back) will likely make a rehab start in five days after throwing live batting practice on Tuesday.
The skipper added that Ian Hamilton (lat) and Lou Trivino (Tommy John) don’t necessarily have to throw in back-to-back games before joining the major league team.
Finally, Boone said that Scott Effross (back/Tommy John surgeries) remains a minor league option after his rehab assignment ended weeks ago. The Yankees have yet to call on him, instead rostering easily-replaceable relievers like Tim Mayza and Phil Bickford.
“I think he’s been doing a pretty good job now for a couple weeks,” Boone said of Effross. “His stuff is trending up. 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.”
