Chicago Cubs fans will not see a familiar face when watching the next round of the postseason, which begins on Saturday.
Eight teams are set to begin the divisional round series of the MLB playoffs. One of them, the New York Yankees, made a surprising decision when selecting their roster for the ALDS against the Kansas City Royals. The Yankees did not include former Cubs legend Anthony Rizzo for a roster spot.
The former Cubs great will miss the playoff round as he has still not recovered from his fractured fingers after being hit by a pitch late in the regular season. Rizzo stated to reporters that he needed to be honest about himself and the situation regarding his hand. He didn’t believe he could contribute at a high level and didn’t want to put the team in a position not to move on.
The team instead will go with rookie Ben Rice to play first base in the series. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was also one of the names added to the roster and has spent time at first this season as well.
Rizzo has dealt with injuries all season long as he missed over a month in the summer with a right forearm fracture. When he has seen time in the lineup for the Bronx Bombers, he hasn’t produced the way the team had hoped. Rizzo has hit .228/.301/.335 with eight home runs and 35 RBI across 92 games this year. This is the second straight year that the 14 year veteran did not surpass 100 games played on the season.
Although not adding a former World Series champion to the roster may have come as a shock to some, the 35-year-old is not the same player he was when he was a crucial part of the Cubs' 2016 championship run. Rizzo was brilliant in that postseason run for Chicago as he posted a .865 OPS and picked up eight extra base hits and 10 RBI.
The Cubs traded Rizzo to the Yankees at the 2021 MLB Trade deadline.
He did seem optimistic and confident about a potential return in the ALCS if the Yankees were to make it to the next round.
The Yankees will begin their quest for their 28th World Series championship on Saturday when they host the Royals at Yankee Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:38 p.m. EST and will be available nationally on TBS.
