There figure to be at least a few new faces in the clubhouse Sunday, with rosters set to expand to 28, but one addition won’t be due to the Sept. 1 date.
Manager Aaron Boone said after Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Cardinals that Anthony Rizzo is finally set to return from the fractured right forearm he suffered on June 16.
Boone said Rizzo would “likely” play in the series finale after speaking with the first baseman on Saturday.
“He’s good,’’ Boone said.
To make room for Rizzo, Ben Rice was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following Saturday’s game.
The first baseman slumped through most of the first two-plus months of the season even before he suffered the freak injury on the bases and he went just 2-for-11 with a homer in his short stint with Double-A Somerset.
Boone said he was “not really” concerned with Rizzo’s numbers during his minor league rehab stint, especially after seeing him take live batting practice at the Stadium earlier in his recovery.
“He racked up a lot of volume the last few weeks,’’ Boone said of the work Rizzo put in. “He’s been bouncing back physically.”
DJ LeMahieu and Rice haven’t done much in Rizzo’s absence, and Oswaldo Cabrera got the start at first on Saturday.
As for the rest of the Sunday additions, Boone said the team would discuss its options following Saturday’s game.
The manager said Friday that the organization’s top prospect, Jasson Dominguez, is in “consideration” to be called up.
Dominguez was back in left field Saturday and homered for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Yankees will also get some help in the bullpen, although it won’t be Ian Hamilton.
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The right-hander was scheduled to make another rehab appearance Friday for Double-A Somerset in his comeback from a lat strain, but suffered back spasms prior to the game and was scratched.
Boone said it didn’t “seem like a major thing.”
Scott Effross, Nick Burdi, Lou Trivino and Ron Marinaccio are potential options.
The team also hasn’t determined Clarke Schmidt’s next step, as the right-hander could start for the Yankees on Monday in Texas or make another minor league rehab start on Tuesday, according to the manager.
Boone said Schmidt was “lined up” to pitch a rehab game — which would be Tuesday, since the minor leagues don’t play Monday, and Boone added he would “lean” that way.
In part, that’s due to the fact Schmidt isn’t fully built up as a starter, but he wouldn’t rule out Schmidt going up against the Rangers.
And with Schmidt taking Will Warren’s spot in the rotation and Luis Gil back soon from a back strain, Boone said the Yankees would “not necessarily” go with a six-man rotation.
“We still have days off,” Boone said of the schedule. “I wouldn’t rule out anything. I’m not committed to anything quite yet.”
Warren has allowed 24 runs in his first five outings.
According to the YES Network, that’s the second-most runs allowed in a pitcher’s first five outings in franchise history, behind only Joe Lake’s 28 in 1908. … The Yankees lost to St. Louis in The Bronx Saturday for the first time since the 1964 World Series.
Juan Soto is now 3-for-22 with one RBI in his last five games, while Aaron Judge has gone homer-less in five straight games for the first time in three weeks.
Judge’s longest drought of what could be his latest historic season is eight games.
