New York Yankees' Anthony Rizzo Shares Update on Finger Injuries Ahead of World Series

Anthony Rizzo played with multiple fractured fingers during the ALCS, but the New York Yankees first baseman told reporters Wednesday that the time off has helped with the swelling.

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) reacts after getting out during the fourth inning during Game 5 of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. / David Dermer-Imagn Images

It's been a tough couple of weeks for Anthony Rizzo, who has been battling through multiple fractured fingers all October long.

Still, the New York Yankees first baseman played through the injuries in the ALCS, and to great effect as well. Rizzo hit .429 with a 1.000 OPS, contributing a Win Probability Added of 0.232 over the course of the series.

Closing out the Cleveland Guardians in five games meant the Yankees could take off an entire week in the leadup to their World Series showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two days ahead of Game 1, Rizzo spoke to reporters and shared just how important the extra time off has been to his fingers.

"The biggest thing is getting the swelling out between games, it really blows up for the pressure," Rizzo said. "The bones are still broken, but to be able to get the swelling out has been key."

Anthony Rizzo said the days off before the World Series have been valuable for his broken fingers.
"The biggest thing is getting the swelling out between games. It really blows up from the pressure. The bones are still broken, but to be able to get the swelling out has been key."

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) October 23, 2024

It has been less than a month since Rizzo suffered his injuries, getting hit by a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 28. The fractured fingers knocked him out of the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals, and that wasn't the first time the 35-year-old missed time in 2024.

Rizzo appeared in just 92 games throughout the regular season, missing more than two months with a fractured radial neck in his right arm. He hit .228 with eight home runs, 35 RBI, a .637 OPS and 0.2 WAR when he was active, all of which were his worst marks since his rookie year in 2011.

Still, Rizzo is one of the few players on the New York Yankees' roster with any kind of World Series experience. He won a World Series ring with the Chicago Cubs back in 2016, helping to snap their 107-year championships drought.

The Yankees' 15-year gap between titles hardly approaches the Cubs' curse, but it is rare for MLB's winningest franchise. Should New York fend off Los Angeles over the next few weeks, it would net them their 28th World Series crown.

Rizzo hit .360 with one home run, five RBI, four walks and a 1.084 OPS during the 2016 World Series, contributing 0.483 in Win Probability Added. If he can bring that kind of production to the table for the Yankees, perhaps the Bronx Bombers will be lifting the Commissioner's Trophy again by the end of the postseason.

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