Yankees injury news: Kahnle goes to IL, Rizzo beams with confidence

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The New York Yankees’ injury woes continue despite their season coming to an end. Tommy Kahnle‘s return to the Bronx in his first season back with the Yankees ended on a disappointing note as he was placed on the 15-day Injured List (IL) due to inflammation in his right shoulder.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that Kahnle’s injury can be attributed to his inability to recover adequately from his previous outing on September 20 in a 6-1 loss to Toronto, during which he struggled against the Blue Jays, conceding two earned runs and issuing four walks.

Kahnle had previously signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract to rejoin the Yankees in the offseason after making a successful comeback from Tommy John surgery. However, the 34-year-old missed the initial two months of the regular season due to right biceps tendinitis.

Initially, Kahnle was highly effective, not allowing a single run in his first 17 appearances of the season. Nevertheless, as the season progressed, hitters adapted to his changeup-heavy pitching style, and he encountered difficulties starting in mid-July. Overall, he concluded the season with a 1-3 record and a 2.66 ERA over 40 2/3 innings. Matt Bowman, recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, replaced him on the roster.

Throughout the second half of the season, Kahnle experienced several challenging stretches, but he did show promise with a recent solid eight-game run in which he didn’t concede any runs over 10 innings of play.

Kahnle’s challenging 2023 season adds to the Yankees’ bullpen concerns, as other key arms like Jonathan Loaisiga and Wandy Peralta are also contending with injuries. Boone expressed hope and belief that the issue wasn’t overly serious but significant enough to warrant their decision.

Despite Tommy Kahnle’s uneven performances during the current season, he is expected to remain part of the bullpen in the upcoming spring. He has an existing contract for the next season, which will see him earning $5.75 million in 2024.

Yankees can count on Rizzo

In other news, Anthony Rizzo has reported feeling much improved, stating that he’s now in a “good, a lot better” condition after grappling with post-concussion symptoms that ultimately led to the conclusion of his season in August.

The Yankees first baseman mentioned that he believed they had simply run out of time to make a comeback, but added that he was now feeling like himself again. He described feeling much clearer mentally and physically stronger.

He anticipates a typical offseason and being completely healthy when spring training rolls around. Rizzo mentioned that he had a different mindset now, but he expressed excitement about the upcoming offseason, with a focus on getting stronger and being prepared for the following year.

Rizzo’s condition has improved following his experience with post-concussion symptoms, and he is confident in his readiness for spring training. He does anticipate undergoing at least one more medical evaluation to ensure his full recovery.

According to the Yankees player, he wasn’t technically cleared yet but was very close to it. He mentioned feeling excellent and assured that everything was in good condition, and he had returned to his normal state.

Rizzo remains under contract for one additional year from the two-year, $40 million agreement he inked in the most recent offseason. Additionally, there exists a team option for a potential third year in the contract.

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