Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo not ruling out return this season from concussion

Anthony Rizzo has made sufficient progress over the previous two weeks that he hasn’t thought of shutting it down for the remainder of 2023. 

The Yankees’ beginning first baseman resumed hitting in an indoor batting cage Friday, 15 days after he was positioned on the injured record with post-concussion syndrome that the medical workers believes stems from a Could 28 collision between Rizzo and Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. 

Talking with the media earlier than the sequence opener towards the Purple Sox on Friday on the Stadium, Rizzo stated he’s not experiencing “fogginess,” and his response occasions have improved to nearer to regular ranges. 

“Positively encouraging,” Rizzo stated. “All indicators are pointing in direction of faster, sooner, sharper of what I suppose regular was. 

“The most important factor is simply feeling higher on a day-to-day foundation. I believe waking up each day and feeling regular and never sort of being hindered by what I believe is occurring or whatnot … The fogginess has subdued. [Doctors] say as soon as that begins occurring, it’s all good issues.” 

After he was initially injured towards the Padres in Could, Rizzo continued enjoying and batted simply .176 with one dwelling run, 9 RBIs and a .496 OPS in 46 video games via Aug. 1. 

The three-time All-Star pressured that he nonetheless has no agency timeline to return to motion, however the last-place Yankees can have 40 video games remaining this season following Friday. 

“Hopefully, within the subsequent few weeks, I’m again enjoying. I don’t know. You’ve bought to take it day-to-day, week by week,” Rizzo stated. “If we run out of time, then we run out of time. 

“I wished to be enjoying two weeks in the past when this occurred, so it’s actually the physician’s orders now with all this. Simply at some point at a time for me.” 

The 34-year-old Rizzo, who’s signed for subsequent season for $17 million, added that he’ll push to make it again to the sphere this season reasonably than play it protected and shut himself down till 2024. 

“As a baseball participant, you need to play baseball. Shutting it down is just not an possibility for me,” Rizzo stated. “I don’t know what number of extra years I’ve left of doing this, so why shut it down and never play? The window’s small and it’s about getting again as quick as potential, and clearly as wholesome as potential. However no, shutting down, for me, is just not an possibility and hasn’t been mentioned. 

“Not enjoying, it simply at all times sucks, it doesn’t matter what it’s. … However simply getting again on the market as quick as I can from right here on out is at all times the objective.”