Rizzo is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Rangers.
Rizzo started each of the first two games off the injured list against right-handers but will begin Tuesday's game on the bench as the Rangers send lefty Andrew Heaney to the hill. DJ LeMahieu will draw the start at first base Tuesday.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Activated, will start Sunday
Rotowire
The Yankees reinstated Rizzo (forearm) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. He'll start at first base and bat seventh in the Yankees' series finale with the Cardinals.
After Saturday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis, New York optioned Ben Rice to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to reopen a spot on the active roster for Rizzo, who had been on the shelf since June 18 with a right forearm fracture. Rizzo avoided surgery to treat the injury and kicked off a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Aug. 23, with the 35-year-old going 2-for-13 with a solo home run and a 2:6 BB:K in six games in the minors before being activated. Rizzo should replace Rice as the Yankees' primary first baseman against right-handed pitching, though he could lose work versus lefties to either DJ LeMahieu or Oswaldo Cabrera. Before being shut down in June, Rizzo was in the midst of a rough season at the plate, with his .630 OPS over 291 plate appearances representing his worst mark since his 2011 rookie campaign with the Padres.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Expected back Sunday
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals that Rizzo (forearm) will "likely" be activated Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rizzo has been out since mid-June with a fractured right forearm, but he is now on the verge of activation after a handful of rehab games in the minors. While Rizzo's performance has declined dramatically in recent years, he figures to slot back in as the team's primary first baseman, especially with fill-in Ben Rice struggling mightily of late. Rizzo sits with a .223/.289/.341 slash line and eight homers through 291 plate appearances this season.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Could be activated Sunday
Rotowire
Rizzo (forearm) could be activated from the 60-day injured list when rosters expand Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rizzo has gone 2-for-8 with a home run and two walks in four rehab games with Double-A Somerset, serving as the designated hitter twice before playing first base the last two contests. He could play a full nine innings at first base Friday and rejoin the Yankees shortly after that. With the club struggling for production at first base, Rizzo should immediately become the primary option there, at least versus right-handed pitching.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Homers in minor-league rehab game
Rotowire
Rizzo (forearm) went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in a rehab appearance with Double-A Somerset on Tuesday.
Rizzo began his rehab assignment Friday and has gone 2-for-6 with two walks, two strikeouts and two runs through three contests. The veteran first baseman is closing in on a return from the 60-day injured list, and he took another step toward that goal Tuesday by playing first base after serving as the designated hitter in his first two games in the minors. Rizzo could immediately reclaim his starting role at first base upon his return to the big club, as Ben Rice has batted .063 with no extra-base hits and a 28.9 percent strikeout rate over 32 at-bats in August following a promising start to his big-league tenure.
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Beginning assignment over weekend
Rotowire
Rizzo (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset during the weekend, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Rizzo will serve as a designated hitter for the first several games of his assignment before eventually moving back to first base. The Yankees haven't said how long the 35-year-old will remain in the minors, though he figures to return to New York sometime in early September.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Closing in on rehab assignment
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that the team has discussed sending Rizzo (forearm) out on a rehab assignment, though no decision has been reached as to when it would begin, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Rizzo would serve as a designated hitter initially on the rehab assignment before eventually playing time first base. The 35-year-old has been on the injured list since mid-June with a fractured right forearm and is likely trending toward an early September return.
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Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: Takes swings Tuesday
Rotowire
Rizzo (forearm) batted in a simulated game against Yankees reliever Ian Hamilton on Tuesday, but the first baseman's return timeline is still undetermined, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.
That Rizzo was able to take swings against Hamilton -- who threw his full arsenal of pitches -- is a positive sign that his forearm fracture is healing well, but manager Aaron Boone indicated that the team still wants Rizzo to heal further before sending him off on a rehab assignment. The veteran slugger has been out since mid-June and isn't likely to return to New York's lineup until some time in September.
Yankees' Anthony Rizzo: 'Full bore,' but lacks timeline
Rotowire
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Rizzo (forearm) recently hit "full bore" off a Trajekt pitching machine, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.
Rizzo has resumed taking batting practice in recent days, but despite seemingly making good progress in his recovery from a fractured right forearm, the Yankees aren't yet willing to offer up a timeline for his return from the 60-day injured list. If or when Rizzo makes it back from the IL, he may not be guaranteed an everyday role at first base. Rookie Ben Rice (.713 OPS in 150 plate appearances) has outproduced Rizzo (.630 OPS in 291 plate appearances) since getting a promotion from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 18, when Rizzo was initially placed on the IL.
Rizzo (forearm) participated in fielding drills Friday and has also begun hitting, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.
Rizzo began going through on-field workouts in late July, and it seems he's finally been cleared for baseball activities. There are still no plans in place for him to begin a rehab assignment, though it's still possible the first baseman meets his goal of returning to the Yankees before the end of August.
