NEW YORK — The Yankees are placing Anthony Rizzo on the injured list before Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins, and the team will call up first baseman Ronald Guzman to take his place.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Rizzo has been dealing with headaches in recent days and previously was dealing with lingering back issues. Rizzo received an epidural to relieve pain in his back, but the team is unsure whether the headaches and the injection are connected.
“We don’t think so based on this, but he had the epidural and now the headaches,” Boone said. “It’s hard to tell. I know some of the images and stuff were good signs as far as not being that, but I think they’re trying to get heads around exactly why.”
Boone said Rizzo “can’t do much” right now due to the headaches once he gets up. Rizzo has slumped since the beginning of August, hitting .208/.299/.442, but he is hitting .225/.339/.493 overall with 30 homers this season.
Because Guzman is not on the 40-man roster, the Yankees will need to make a corresponding move ahead of Wednesday’s games. In 90 games this season for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Guzman is hitting .260/.357/.466 with 12 homers.
Boone also said infielder DJ LeMahieu will need some time off while dealing with a toe issue, adding that he would not have played in Tuesday’s game. LeMahieu’s toe injury has affected his power at the plate and isn’t something that will get better with a few days of rest, Boone said. He will need time in the offseason.
Additionally, Giancarlo Stanton, who left Monday’s game with an injury scare after fouling multiple balls off his foot and ankle, might be an option for the team during its doubleheader, Boone said. X-rays came back negative after Monday’s game.
In good news on the Yankees injury front, Luis Severino will pitch for the Double-A Somerset Patriots on Wednesday and will throw about 55 pitches. Severino said he hopes that it will be his final rehab appearance. Severino has stated on multiple occasions he has felt ready to return and has been unhappy with being on the 60-day injured list. In 16 starts this season, Severino has a 3.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in 86 innings pitched across 16 starts. –
