The New York Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series on Thursday as they defeated the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series 3-1.
Their opponent was decided on Saturday as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers in game 5 to advance to the ALCS.
Many star players, such as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, make up the Yankees lineup, but one notable star was missing.
Yankees first basemen Anthony Rizzo was left off of the ALDS roster due to a fracture in his right hand.
According to Bryan Hoch on ‘X,’ Yankees Manager Aaron Boone says there is a chance that Rizzo will be on the ALCS roster.
“There’s a chance” Anthony Rizzo will be on the ALCS roster, Aaron Boone said.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) October 13, 2024
Rizzo’s regular season was not spectacular as he batted .228 with 8 home runs, 35 runs batted in, and a .637 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Even though he had an underwhelming regular season, Rizzo has plenty of postseason experience as he has played in 49 total playoff games in his career.
His playoff numbers include a .218 average with 9 home runs, 27 runs batted in, and a .724 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The numbers may not jump off the page, but Rizzo’s playoff experience would be a huge boost for the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
2024 will be the first American League Championship Series for the Yankees since 2022 when they were swept by the Houston Astros.
It will be interesting to see how healed up Rizzo is if he in fact is on the ALCS roster.
More news regarding Rizzo’s status should be available prior to Monday’s game 1.
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