First base has been mostly a black hole for the Yankees this season, with Ben Rice and DJ LeMahieu filling in for Anthony Rizzo — who wasn’t hitting well even before he went down with a fractured right forearm.
But Rizzo is seemingly finally approaching a return from the injury that’s kept him out since mid-June.
Rizzo said Wednesday he could play in his first rehab game as soon as Friday or Sunday.
Saying he hadn’t felt any discomfort in the arm in over a week and that the strength in his right arm has returned, Rizzo said he would be limited to DH at first, but he will return to first base at some point.
“It feels good,” Rizzo said of the arm. “Obviously, the CT scan isn’t gonna lie, but it feels good. … We’ll continue to build.”
He’s confident the controlled environment of serving as a DH in a rehab game reduces the risk of aggravating the injury and he’s ready to give it a shot.
“This is what I get paid to do: to play,’’ Rizzo said after taking batting practice prior to Wednesday’s game against Cleveland in The Bronx. “I miss playing. I want to come back and help this team.”
They need it, as the Yankees have gotten among the worst production from their first basemen all season.
Rice got just his third start since Aug. 10 — and his sixth overall against a lefty — on Wednesday, as LeMahieu was not in the starting lineup.
Aaron Boone said he held LeMahieu out in part because of the length of Tuesday’s 12-inning loss and also acknowledged LeMahieu hasn’t been hitting well again, in a 2-for-19 funk.
And Tuesday was another tough night, as LeMahieu lined out to center, but then failed to get a run in with the infield in, hit into a double play and popped out with runners in scoring position.
LeMahieu had plenty of company in not coming through Tuesday, but his struggles have been more pronounced than just about anyone else on the team.
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Alex Verdugo is another Yankee in a slump, with three hits in 29 at-bats.
“He’s been up and down the last couple months after he was a force the first few months,” Boone said. “He’s such a good hitter [and] he’s a young man. I feel like there’s a hot streak coming. He keeps working.”
In addition to Rizzo and perhaps Clarke Schmidt, infielder Jon Berti (calf) could be in a rehab assignment Friday at Double-A Somerset, according to Boone.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (elbow) took batting practice again and said he felt he will be back when he’s eligible to come off the IL.
