The New York Yankees were already being linked to potential bats to strengthen their lineup ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Following Anthony Rizzo’s injury on Sunday, rumors about the Yankees pursuing corner infielders will become even more common.
Rizzo sustained an arm injury during Sunday Night Baseball against the Boston Red Sox when he collided with Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino while running down the line. He left the game with trainers, and the team quickly anticipated a multi-week absence for their first baseman.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Brendan Kuty, and Chris Kirschner reported that Rizzo suffered a fracture to the radial neck of his right arm. While surgery won’t be necessary, he is expected to be on the injured list for a minimum of four weeks and potentially up to six weeks.
Given this timeline, Rizzo wouldn’t rejoin the Yankees lineup until after the All-Star Break at the earliest. In the worst-case scenario, he would be finishing his rehab assignment around the MLB trade deadline.
The Yankees had already been considering internally the idea of finding a replacement for Rizzo via trade, though there was interest in giving him time to improve his performance at the plate. With that no longer an option, the Yankees might now proceed with a plan to replace him for the rest of the season.
Identifying New York Yankees trade targets at first base and third base
Ken Rosenthal previously mentioned on Fox Sports 1 that New York was considering moving DJ LeMahieu to first base and pursuing a trade for a third baseman. With both options in play, our Yankees trade targets will focus on players at each position.