New York Yankees manager had no other choice but to bench Anthony Rizzo for Sunday night’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran first baseman has been mired in a prolonged slump, batting .173 with a .367 OPS in 23 games since May 14. He has not hit a home run and has just three RBI during that stretch. His last round-tripper was on May 10.
“I just felt like it was time,’’ Boone said of the decision to sit Rizzo on Sunday (h/t SNY). “It’s probably been on my mind a little bit… I felt like today was the day and we’ll see where we go from here.”
The last month has thrown a considerable wrench in the 34-year-old’s seasonal production. His .623 OPS in 2024 is his lowest since his first season in 2011 with the San Diego Padres while his seven home runs and 25 RBI leave much to be desired from a bat that was supposed to be a vital support piece behind the likes of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
“There’s no question, the last two or three weeks have been a little struggle,” Boone said. “Sometimes, when you go through it and make adjustments and they don’t take right away, it’s hard… Sometimes it’s a process and you’ve got to have small little gains along the way to get where you want to go and that’s hard as a player.”
DJ LeMahieu got the nod to take over at first base in Rizzo’s absence and could hold things down while the lefty works through his issues. Boone admitted that a few more days off could be in the cards to provide a reset, of sorts.
Boone’s willingness to switch things up is only intensified by the uncertain status of Soto, who missed the previous three games with elbow inflammation that sidelined him for the blockbuster series against the Dodgers. New York scored just four runs across their first two games against Los Angeles before salvaging a 6-4 win Sunday night.
