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Rizzo’s postseason status for the Yankees is uncertain after a pitch hit

Rizzo’s postseason status for the Yankees is uncertain after a pitch hit

NEW YORK – New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo is unsafe for the postseason after breaking the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand while in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Pirates was hit by Ryan Borucki of Pittsburgh.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it was too early to determine whether Rizzo would be able to play in the AL Division Series opener on Oct. 5.

“We’ll see what we have over the course of the week. That doesn’t completely rule him out,” Boone said. “Something that’s a pain tolerance thing. So we’ll see what we have as the days go by.”

Rizzo was hit in the back of the hand by Borucki’s 1-2 slider early in the seventh, the 222nd time Rizzo has been hit by a pitch in his big league career. Rizzo winced in pain and remained inside after being examined by head athletic trainer Tim Lentych.

After the Yankees struggled in the seventh, Oswaldo Cabrera moved from shortstop and Anthony Volpe entered the game from shortstop.

Rizzo missed 62 games with a broken right forearm after colliding with Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino in the seventh inning at Fenway Park on June 16. He hit .228 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 92 games this season, including .380 (8 for 21) since returning from the injured list on September 1st.

Oswaldo Cabrera and rookie Ben Rice are possible replacements for Rizzo. Rice hit .175 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 49 games while Rizzo was sidelined.

Boone didn’t mention DJ LeMahieu, who hasn’t played since Sept. 3 because of a right hip impingement.

It was the second serious injury for the Yankees in the final week of the regular season. Left-hander Nestor Cortes was on the injured list with a strained pitching elbow. Cortes and the Yankees hope he could return at some point in the postseason.

In the game, sensational rookie Paul Skenes pitched two perfect innings in his debut at Yankee Stadium and the Pirates hit five home runs, including four off rookie Luis Gil, preventing New York from securing home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

Yasmani Grandal and Nick Gonzales hit solo home runs in the first four innings to lead Gil (15-7). Rookie Billy Cook in the fifth and Jared Triolo in the sixth added two runs. Nick Yorke hit a two-run home run off Will Warren in the ninth.

New York has lost four of five and opens the Division Series at home on October 5th. The Yankees would be assured of home-field advantage in the League Championship Series if they win their regular-season finale or if Cleveland loses one of the final two.

Aaron Judge followed his third game of the season with his third five-strikeout game, his first since May 5, 2021.