The New York Yankees are just a few days away from their first playoff game, having secured a first-round bye. They will face the winner of the American League Wild Card series between the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles.
Meanwhile, manager Aaron Boone informed the media that they are not “testing anything” regarding first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s recovery from his fractured fingers, which he sustained after being hit by a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
Boone had previously described Rizzo’s situation as a “pain tolerance thing,” stating, “I don’t want to jump to anything. We’ll see how he responds in the next several days before we kick this thing off in a week.” Rizzo was spotted at practice wearing a brace on his hand, observing other players taking grounders.
The Yankees’ first playoff game is scheduled for Saturday, October 5, after clinching home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed in the American League. With strong pitching dominating the postseason landscape, the Yankees will rely heavily on Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Gil to perform at their best. Cole has shown improvement in recent months, while Rodon has also found his rhythm.
ClutchPoints’ Joey Mistretta highlighted the inconsistency of the Yankees’ offense, noting that Aaron Judge is the only batter hitting over .300, while others struggle to contribute consistently.
This raises concerns about the team’s ability to perform if Judge and Juan Soto are effectively contained. Ultimately, the Yankees’ success in the postseason will depend on their pitching and role players stepping up alongside their star hitters.
read more: https://clutchpoints.com/yankees-news-aaron-boone-anthony-rizzo-update