Inside The Pinstripes

Anthony Rizzo Tests Positive For COVID-19 as Yankees' Latest Outbreak Continues to Grow

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has tested positive for COVID-19. Rizzo is the latest Yankees player to get the virus during this COVID outbreak

Max Goodman

NEW YORK — Another key contributor on the Yankees has landed on the COVID-19 injured list.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Aaron Boone revealed Sunday morning.

Rizzo, who was acquired by the Yankees from the Cubs prior to last week's trade deadline, has been a spark for New York, helping this team catch fire early in the month of August.

Boone said Rizzo tested positive for the virus after Saturday's victory over the Mariners. He has some symptoms and is feeling "achey," Boone said, but is doing well overall.

Rizzo will be replaced on the active roster by first baseman Luke Voit. Voit is returning from his third stint on the injured list this season, coming off a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. 

As of Sunday morning, Boone does not believe any other players are at risk of missing time due to contact tracing or the league's health and safety protocols. That said, Rizzo is not the first Yankee to test positive for the virus this week. 

The first baseman will join pitchers Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, along with starting catcher Gary Sánchez, on the COVID IL. This is the third COVID outbreak of the season for New York—six different players tested positive for the virus last month and a total of eight individuals within the organization had COVID-19 back in May.

In June, Rizzo—a cancer survivor—disclosed to reporters in Chicago that he is not vaccinated, saying he's "taking some more time to see the data in all of it." Rizzo also acknowledged that he's "definitely not against" getting the vaccine in the future.

Asked on Sunday if Rizzo has since changed his mind about receiving the vaccine, Boone chose not to discuss the topic. 

"We've talked about this internally," Boone said. "A large percentage of us obviously are [vaccinated], but I'm not going to get into all that anymore."

Since he was dealt from the North Side to the Bronx, Rizzo has been swinging a hot bat. The slugger is batting .281 (9-for-32) over nine games with his new team, posting a .963 OPS with three home runs. Rizzo even powered his way into the franchise history books, becoming the first player in Yankees history to drive in a run in each of his first six games with the club.

Anthony Rizzo Continues To Be 'Perfect' Fit For Yankees

Boone mentioned the club's recent road trip to Florida—playing against the Rays and Marlins—as a possible source of this outbreak. New York eclipsed the 85 percent vaccination threshold as an organization several months ago, meaning the vast majority of these positive COVID tests are considered breakthrough cases. 

The Yankees will embark on another road trip on Monday, stopping in Kansas City, Iowa and Chicago. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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