By Ken Rosenthal, Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner
New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm but won’t need surgery, according to a person briefed on the injury. He could miss an estimated four to six weeks, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
It’s unclear what the Yankees will do in Rizzo’s absence. It seems likely that they will shift third baseman DJ LeMahieu to first base and play utility man Oswaldo Cabrera at third base.
In the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, Rizzo collided with reliever Brennan Bernardino while rushing down the line to beat out a ground ball. Berardino was covering first base and dropped the flip from first baseman Dominic Smith.
Rizzo went to the ground and stayed there for a while. He eventually walked off with a pair of team trainers and came out of the game.
Yanks load the bases but Rizzo is down grabbing his hand pic.twitter.com/nyRYZ33pBR
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 17, 2024
Rizzo was examined via fluoroscope at Fenway Park on Sunday, and it had come back negative, but the team wanted him to undergo more testing Monday in New York, manager Aaron Boone told reporters.
“He’s in some pain, that kind of lower arm, in a number of places,” Boone said.
Through 70 games, Rizzo has hit .223 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and a .630 OPS. Last week, the Yankees sat Rizzo for two straight games as he worked on his swing.
“You never like seeing someone coming out of a game and getting injured,” center fielder Aaron Judge said. “Once we get an idea of what’s going on with him, he’s right back out there doing his thing. Past couple of games, past week or so, guy’s been swinging the bat well, coming up with some big hits. Had the homer versus Kansas City earlier. We’re going to miss him, but I think the first thing is health.”
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(Photo: Maddie Malhotra / Boston Red Sox / Getty Images)
