Anthony Rizzo’s encouraging recovery following brain exercise, supplements

After the Yankees placed Anthony Rizzo on the injured list due to post-concussion syndrome on August 3, positive indications of his recovery progress have emerged. The first baseman, who is being treated with cognitive therapy and supplements, is moving in the right direction toward his recuperation.

The sequence of events began when Anthony Rizzo participated in games for approximately two months following a collision with the Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. in late May, which was considered a likely trigger for the concussion. Although initial evaluations initially ruled out a concussion, complications arose as Anthony Rizzo encountered a haze of confusion while grappling with a notably challenging performance slump.

During the course of events, Anthony Rizzo had a recent medical evaluation on Thursday, encompassing a reexamination of his condition. This assessment took place while Anthony Rizzo was in Miami with the Yankees on the subsequent Friday. According to the Yankees’ first baseman, the results of these tests reflect a positive trajectory, indicating that he is progressing in the “right direction.”

While Anthony Rizzo’s status remains on a week-to-week basis, he has been actively maintaining his physical activity levels. He aspires to engage in more baseball-related exercises in the upcoming week. Notably, he has already engaged in sessions of catch and training sessions involving medicine balls in the weight room. Additionally, Anthony Rizzo has resumed running, although at a moderate intensity level.

“Theoretically, I guess I was playing on this for two months,” said Anthony Rizzo, who added that he’s not worried about being able to ramp up quickly at the plate. “So if I think it’s gonna go away in a week, it’s wishful thinking. But there’s definitely signs of progress.”

Receiving input from medical professionals, Anthony Rizzo has been reassured that air travel poses no risks, a topic he had inquired about repeatedly. In tandem with a regimen of supplements, Anthony Rizzo is undergoing an array of cerebral exercises. During his time on the 10-day Injured List (IL), he openly discussed challenges related to misjudging pitches and experiencing considerable delays in his reaction times.

In a recent update on Friday, Anthony Rizzo disclosed an improvement in his reaction times based on testing. He expresses optimism for the continuation of this positive trend.

“The thing is, we don’t know what my baseline was,” Anthony Rizzo said. “They just know that I was significantly slower than a normal person. So I think when we see that level off, probably two weeks in a row or completely symptom-free or whatnot, we’ll go from there.”

How serious is Anthony Rizzo’s injury

According to several neurologists who talked to The Post, Anthony Rizzo’s head injury is not typical, but it’s also not uncommon.

What was unusual about the situation was that, after colliding with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres on May 26, Anthony Rizzo followed MLB’s concussion rules and didn’t feel concussion symptoms right away. As time passed, he started feeling sick. He would wake up feeling like he had a hangover, even though he hadn’t drunk any alcohol.

Sometimes, his brain felt unclear, like he was in a fog. When he was at the plate, he couldn’t react quickly. He was failing to hit pitches that he had always been able to hit throughout his career. Swinging at certain pitches, he believed the ball was in one place, but it was actually in a different spot.

Dr. Ilan Danan, a sports neurologist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and a consultant for multiple professional teams, mentioned that he would focus less on rarity and more on the situation being a bit unusual. He explained that no single concussion presents itself consistently, whether it’s in the same patient or a different patient. He pointed out that there’s a lot of variation in how people respond to a concussive event. He acknowledged that the way Anthony Rizzo’s concussion symptoms appeared and progressed is not typical.

Dr. Beth McQuiston, who is a certified neurologist and the medical director of Abbott Laboratories’ diagnostics division, said that symptoms of concussions may not appear immediately and can fluctuate. The challenge with concussions is that they are not easily visible like other injuries. When you injure your ankle, you can see the swelling. Similarly, when you strain your hamstring, you can feel the discomfort. However, brain injuries, are harder to diagnose because the effects are not as apparent.

Cashman defends Yankees’ response

There has been an uproar about the Yankees’ handling of Anthony Rizzo. But Brian Cashman, their general manager, defended the Yankees claiming that elucidating such situations fairly and understandably was not a simple task.

He went on to explain that when people receive a diagnosis that falls into a general category, it is based on the patient’s quantifiable information. Doctors contribute by conducting diagnostic tests that yield clear and measurable results. This diagnosis is formulated based on patient input and these measurable tests. Cashman expressed his belief that this process was in place during the dates of May 28, 29, and 30, and it remains consistent today. He conveyed confidence that the medical team responded appropriately to the information both in the past and at present.

When questioned about whether he would have altered anything, manager Aaron Boone responded that their approach had consistently been toward safeguarding players and ensuring they receive optimal diagnoses and treatments.

Rizzo defended Yankees

According to Anthony Rizzo, he believes the medical team responded appropriately during that time, and their response to the current situation is also fitting, considering the available information. He further stated that nobody overlooked this situation.

Anthony Rizzo emphasized that both he and the training staff were attentive to the situation. They collectively decided to ensure that any potential issue was addressed. While he wasn’t certain about the cause, he expressed satisfaction about undergoing testing. 

He also commented that this experience could have implications for baseball’s protocols, though he wasn’t suggesting a need for immediate changes. Anthony Rizzo shared that other players had reached out to him, expressing similar symptoms and experiences. This feedback from fellow players made him consider that there might be something worth exploring in such cases.

At first, the Yankees said Anthony Rizzo had hurt his neck, and he didn’t play for four days. During that time, he took a test to make sure he didn’t have a concussion, and he passed the test that Major League Baseball has for checking concussions.

Anthony Rizzo didn’t mention any physical problems until he told the team about feeling confused during the series with Baltimore over the weekend. He kept playing in the games until Wednesday when the team had him do tests to check his nervous system.

Boone explained that he had no concerns about letting Rizzo play as he was desiring to keep playing and the approval of the medical team agreed to it in the absence of any alarming signs from his condition.

Although Anthony Rizzo never received an official concussion diagnosis, he mentioned that the neurological specialists suggested the possibility due to the collision’s impact. They suggested that it was reasonable to assume that a concussion might have occurred and that the effects were progressively becoming apparent.

Anthony Rizzo’s recent injury has brought attention to how serious concussions can be and how the league manages them. Teams will be more cautious in the future due to this concerning event.

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