Anthony Rizzo hopes to return for Milwaukee series

Wednesday September 14, 2022

BOSTON — Anthony Rizzo is ready to join the Yankees’ active roster when they visit Milwaukee this weekend. The 33-year-old first baseman is out following back pain. He reportedly developed spinal issues after having n epidural injection for a back problem. However, Rizzo is eyeing a quick return.

If not able to join the Yankees against the Brewers, the first baseman expects that he will “definitely” be ready for the series against the Pirates, which will begin at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

Rizzo said this on Tuesday at the visitor’s clubhouse at Fenway Park before the first game of a two-game series between the Yankees and the Red Sox.

The game ended with the Yankees beating the Red Sox 7-6. Aaron Judge hit his 56th and 57th home runs.

“There are still boxes to check off,” Rizzo said when asked about the green signal to this return.

The largest one, on the other hand, appears to have been investigated. It involves massive headaches he had after the back-pain treatment.

That would be the bad side effects, like migraine headaches, from the epidural shot Rizzo got in his back on September 1 for the tightness in his lower back. The back problem has been bothering him since June.

Last Friday, Rizzo received a blood patch, a treatment option for patients with spinal injection side effects. The headaches quickly subsided, allowing the three-time All-Star to resume baseball activities after a week in bed.

“Feel good, swung today a little bit so just progressing,” a cautious Rizzo quoted saying and he added, “Hopefully (I’m ready for) next series or the Pittsburgh series … I was at Yankee Stadium this morning working there; threw on the field today; didn’t run outside but ran inside, and now it’s just progressing. I hope this is all over now.”

Rizzo is hitting .225 this season, but he has 30 home runs, which is second for the Yankees behind Aaron Judge’s 55. He had an OPS of .832 going into Tuesday night’s game.

“It was just weird because you didn’t know what was going on, Rizzo said of what led up to him being put on the IL Sept. 6 with the headaches caused by the epidural injection. Every time you stand up you get a massive headache. Just laying down for a week straight, basically on bed rest, was not fun.”

Rizzo, who missed four games in early July and five games in early August because of tightness in his lower back, said that there was a “silver lining.”

Rizzo said, “I got a week to let the medicine from the epidural fully take effect and do its job.” “I’ve never had an epidural before, so we’ll find out in a few more weeks. When I give my back a break, that’s a good thing.”

Do you think Anthony Rizzo will play at American Family Field? Can he return in time and with full strength?