New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo is inching closer to a return from a fractured arm that has kept him off the field for more than two months.
Rizzo has been on the injured list since suffering the injury against the Boston Red Sox on June 16 when he collided with relief pitcher Brennan Bernardino at first base trying to beat out a ground ball.
Rizzo has recently been taking live batting practice reps, and his next step is getting in some game action,
The 34-year-old is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset as a designated hitter this weekend.
The Yankees are currently using a platoon at first base between veteran DJ LeMahieu and rookie Ben Rice, both of which have struggled to make a consistent impact this season.
Rizzo was struggling to find his form before the injury as well. His month of June was horrendous with a .104 batting average, one home run and a .373 OPS in 54 plate appearances.
It will be interesting to see what happens if and when Rizzo returns. Should LeMahieu and Rice continue to struggle, it's likely that the latter gets demoted while LeMahieu and Rizzo split time at first base.
Either way, the Yankees need Rizzo to regain his form as a force in the lineup if they are going to make postseason run.
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