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NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Rizzo was back in the New York Yankees' lineup for Monday night's American League Championship Series opener, just 16 days after fracturing a pair of fingers when hit by a pitch.
Rizzo was batting eighth and playing first base versus the Cleveland Guardians after missing the Division Series against Kansas City.
“It’s just pain,” Rizzo said. “It’s temporary, and the 50,000 people in the stands and the adrenaline and what’s at stake is going to outweigh any pain I’ll be feeling.”
Rizzo fractured the fourth and fifth fingers on his right hand when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki on Sept. 28.
A three-time All-Star and a 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, the 35-year-old hit .228 with eight homers and 35 RBIs in 92 games during an injury-interrupted season. Rizzo missed 62 games with a fractured right forearm after colliding with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino on June 16. He batted .380 (8 for 21) after returning from the injured list on Sept. 1.
Rizzo wouldn't say whether he'd be playing if this were the regular season.
“This is Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, so the hypothetical there isn’t there,” he said. “I don’t know what that answer would be.”
Rizzo hasn’t hit off live pitching, only machines. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was comforted by the return of a four-time Gold Glove winner.
“Yesterday with me, he was pretty adamant. He goes, ‘I’m ready,’” Boone said. “He’s looked good in the field, like no issues. ... The trainers feel like he's at a good spot."
Rizzo helped lead the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908.
“I’ve had opportunity throughout my career to play a good amount of postseason baseball, and this is what you play for,” he said. “The clock is only ticking on my age and getting older. You just never know when you’re going to have an opportunity to play for a pennant again, ever again. You can’t take any of this for granted.”
Rizzo had watched from the bench during the Division Series and given tips on positioning at first base to Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera, who started two games each against the Royals.
“To be on the bench, it’s more stressful than playing,” Rizzo said. “It’s really (harder) to control your emotions on the bench than it is when you play.”
Right-hander Marcus Stroman also was added by the Yankees, who dropped first baseman Ben Rice and speedy outfielder Duke Ellis from their roster.
Ellis had one pinch-running appearance in the Division Series and Rice didn’t get into a game.
Cleveland added right-hander Pedro Avila, giving the Guardians 13 pitchers, and dropped outfielder Angel Martínez.
Stroman was 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in his first season with the Yankees, making 29 starts and one relief appearance. The 33-year-old slumped to 0-3 with an 8.80 ERA in four September appearances.
Sidelined by a strained left elbow flexor since Sept. 18, the 29-year-old Yankees left-hander threw his first bullpen Sunday. He is scheduled to throw another one Wednesday and, if he continues to progress, batting practice by the weekend. Boone said if “everything continues to move and we’re able to advance, (that) will put him in play.”
Avila, 27, had a 3.25 ERA in 74 2/3 innings over 50 relief appearances for Cleveland, striking out 73 and walking 30.
“He has the ability to throw a lot of pitches on back-to-back days and give us some length at times,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.
Guardians relievers pitched 25 2/3 innings out of a possible 44 in the five-game Division Series against Detroit. In his only Division Series appearance, Martínez grounded out as a pinch hitter in Game 3.
Right-hander Ben Lively, Cleveland's winningest pitcher at 13-10, remains off the roster.
“Ben had been phenomenal for us all year, super consistent,” Vogt said. “It was one of those things that, when we got down to the last decision, it’s what felt right.”
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This story makes a correction in the second paragraph to note that Rizzo was batting eighth, not seventh.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb