"Anthony Rizzo has broken bones & is hitting 100mph fastballs" - MLB analyst blown away by Yankees first baseman's perseverance
Anthony Rizzo has been using all the adrenaline he has left to stay in the Yankees lineup despite having two broken bones in his arm. Many from the Yanks community have commended him for still wanting to feature in the postseason.
On Thursday's episode of "The Mayor's Office with Sean Casey," Casey and his co-host Rich Ciancimino discussed the upcoming World Series. Shifting their focus from big names like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, Casey talked about Rizzo's grit and determination.
Rizzo was limited to just 92 regular season games due to a collision with Brennan Bernardino of the Boston Red Sox in June and was hit by a pitch in a game against the Royals on Sept. 28, which fractured his right arm.
Casey compared Rizzo to when he featured in the 2006 World Series and played through a torn calf. He then talked about the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, who is dealing with an ankle sprain but will be available in the Fall Classic.
"These are the two guys, the two first basemen in this World Series are banged up but they are grinding through with the help of the training staff to make sure they are going to be in that lineup," Casey said (9:14).
Ciancimino understands how difficult it is to play with an injury and commended Rizzo for still hitting fastballs.
"I have this little strain in my wrist that I have had for about three months and every once in a while I will go to pick something up and I will go 'Ah geez,'" Ciancimino said (10:36). "This guy has broken bones in his hand and is hitting 100 mph fastballs every two days."
Anthony Rizzo's teammate Austin Wells wowed by 1B's dedication
After the ALCS, Yankees catcher Austin Wells praised Anthony Rizzo and pointed out the uniqueness of his situation, which says a lot about his character.
“I can’t even believe it, to be honest with you,” Wells said. “It’s a pretty incredible thing, to have two broken bones in your hand and go out there and do what he’s been able to do. I think it just shows how tough he is, the character he has and his willingness to be out there, to go through whatever it takes to help the team win"
Anthony Rizzo hit .429 in the five games against the Cleveland Guardians and will be looking for similar or even better results in the showcase against LA.