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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees had a decision to make before Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
They needed to clear a roster spot for Ben Rice to play first base after Anthony Rizzo fractured two fingers in his right hand Saturday. They could’ve either placed Rizzo on the 10-day injured list or moved someone else off the active roster to give themselves time to make a decision on Rizzo’s status for the start of the postseason. They chose to move someone else and optioned right-hander Scott Effross to the minors, keeping the door slightly ajar for Rizzo.
Putting Rizzo on the injured list would’ve made him an option for the American League Division Series only as an injury replacement. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at Yankee Stadium against either the Baltimore Orioles or Kansas City Royals.
“I don’t necessarily expect him for the division series,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after a 6-4 win on Sunday. “I still view that as very much a long shot. But I think we want to see these days unfold. And see, ultimately, by the middle, end of the week, what he’s capable of doing. To see if it’s even a possibility. We felt like we could buy that time today with the roster, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s an indicator one way or the other.”
Rizzo, 35, said he will receive treatment until testing the hand either Thursday or Friday before giving team officials “an honest assessment” of the situation. Whether he can play will come down to his pain tolerance.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Rizzo said when asked if he could play in the ALDS. “In my mind, yes. In reality, I don’t know. We’re going to see.”
Rizzo broke the fingers when he was hit on the hand by a slider from Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Ryan Borucki in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 9-4 loss Saturday. He initially stayed in the game to run the bases but didn’t take the field the following inning.
Boone on Sunday described the injury as “a clean break,” which gives the Yankees a glimmer of hope that Rizzo could play in the ALDS.
“You can probably injure it a little worse, but as far as long-term health, there’s not really a concern, which is encouraging for the pain tolerance and just mentally,” said Rizzo, whose contract holds a $17 million team option and a $6 million buyout for next season. “But this is what you dream of, October, just playing.”
It is the second significant injury of the season for Rizzo, who missed more than two months when he fractured his right forearm in mid-June. The 14-year veteran finished the season with a .228/.301/.335 slash line and eight home runs — all career lows — in 92 games but remains by far the Yankees’ best defensive first baseman.
The list of options to replace Rizzo at first base is topped by veteran DJ LeMahieu, who has been on the injured list with a hip injury since Sept. 9 and was one of the least productive hitters in baseball this season; the rookie Rice, a catcher by trade with limited experience at the position (63 starts between the minors and majors); and Oswaldo Cabrera, a utility man with even less experience at the position (five starts in the majors).
Boone named outfielder Trent Grisham and infielder Jon Berti as other possibilities. Neither player has logged an inning at the position in their professional careers.