Anthony Rizzo a late scratch from Yankees' lineup with lower back stiffness
Anthony Rizzo of the Yankees hits a solo home run off Aaron Civale of the Guardians during the fourth inning in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on Saturday. Credit: Getty Images/Nick Cammett
PITTSBURGH – Anthony Rizzo was a late scratch – about 45 minutes before first pitch – from Tuesday night’s game against the Pirates with what the Yankees called “lower back stiffness.”
After the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh, Aaron Boone didn’t say he was overly concerned about the injury, but he didn’t soft-pedal it, either.
“I don’t think a ton [of concern],” Boone said. “It might end up being a couple of days, but we’ll see what we have coming into tomorrow. He said it’s something that’s similar to what’s popped up on him before, and it’s usually a day or two. So I expect it to be a day-to-day situation, but we’ll see.”
Boone said the 32-year-old Rizzo, who has 22 homers, second to Aaron Judge’s 29, felt the discomfort “all day today” and “just couldn’t get loose.”
DJ LeMahieu, initially at second base in the first lineup posted, replaced Rizzo at first and ended the first inning with a tremendous diving stop toward the line on Jack Suwinski's one-hop smash, helping Jameson Taillon end a 1-2-3, 15-pitch frame (Gleyber Torres shifted from DH to second and Matt Carpenter took the DH spot).
The Yankees, obviously, hope Rizzo, who has not spent time on the injured list since 2018, will not be out long.
In addition to his defensive abilities, Rizzo is hitting just .223 but with an .843 OPS in 77 games. Before going 0-for-3 with a walk in Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Cleveland, Rizzo had homered in three of his last four games. He has 52 RBIs, third on the team behind Judge (60) and Giancarlo Stanton (53).
Judge takes a swing
Judge, among about 20 or so from the traveling party who took a private tour of the Clemente Museum here Sunday night after the club bussed in from Cleveland, used a replica of Clemente’s bat, a super heavy 38 ounces, during his final round of batting practice before Tuesday’s game.
Maz on the scene
Bill Mazeroski, who won the 1960 World Series for the Pirates with his ninth-inning homer off the Yankees’ Ralph Terry in Game 7, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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