A year after his season ended prematurely due to a concussion and in the midst of a slow start to the campaign, Anthony Rizzo started his 25th consecutive game at first base Wednesday night.
The Yankees were unable to give Rizzo a break, who entered the game with a mediocre defensive season and with only a .626 OPS.
The apparent backup first baseman is Oswaldo Cabrera, who became the starting third baseman.
The Yankees infield has been unbalanced and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future after the DJ LeMahieu setback and with Jon Berti not yet ready to return from the injured list.
Brian Cashman believed the problem would be resolved when LeMahieu returned, but a sore foot early in his rehab assignment Tuesday further complicated the Yankees’ on-field predicament.
“I feel like we have a little bit of visibility, especially the first base coverage behind Rizzo,” Cashman said at the unveiling of a mural organized by the Bronx Children’s Museum and the Players Alliance. “And the left side of the inside cover is a little bit exposed with Berti down, obviously LeMahieu down. We’re a little vulnerable right now because of this.
The Yankees entered the game with six healthy outfielders — including recent pickup Taylor Trammell and rarely used Trent Grisham — and five healthy infielders.
The only replacement in the field was Jahmai Jones, who is primarily limited to second base as an infielder.
So, Cabrera couldn’t move around the field and got stuck at third base, Rizzo is cut off at first, and Anthony Volpe literally has to be an everyday shortstop.
Berti, who has a left groin strain, could begin a rehabilitation assignment this weekend and could become an option next week.
When he’s ready, he could become a fairly regular player at third base, which would allow Cabrera to move around and give Rizzo and Volpe a day off here or there.
But the Yankees, in the midst of a 17-game-in-17-day stretch, should survive at least another week with a thin bench.
“It’s a little concerning,” manager Aaron Boone admitted of the first base spot before the Yankees played the A’s in the Bronx. “We’re obviously not too deep there at the moment.”
Boone said catcher Austin Wells and outfielder Grisham initially got practice reps and could become possibilities, and it appears an immediate relief answer would have to come from the current roster.
The only infielder on Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 40-man roster is Jorbit Vivas, who was activated from the IL but is not yet positioned for a call-up.
The presumed backup infielder early in the spring was Oswald Peraza, who is still at least a few weeks away from a rehab assignment from a shoulder strain.
There are Triple-A prospects such as Caleb Durbin and Jeter Downs who could help, but adding them to the 40-man roster could mean they would have to be cut from the 40-man roster when players on the roster 60-day injured players, such as Gerrit Cole, Lou Trivino and Jasson Dominguez, are activated.
“I would rather not touch the 40,” Cashman said. “I prefer not to confuse everything. I hope we can just tread water and get through this.
To get by, the Yankees should continue to rely on Volpe, who has played 183 of a possible 186 games over the course of a season and counting. They should hope for the continued health of Rizzo, who has started every game but has shown few signs of life particularly offensively.
They should also continue to play Cabrera every day and hope that an April can turn into a breakout season.
At the moment, they don’t have many other choices.
“The legitimate choices for Boone right now aren’t as comforting, I guess,” Cashman said. “But that’s also sometimes the nature of the beast in how your season goes. You have to grind the rope with what you have. And we’re asking people to do things that they might not be used to doing. This happens every year.
New York Post
