It seems like all those champagne-soaked celebrations and attention from the entire world may have attracted a bit of bad luck for the Yankees! Just when everything was on an upswing after clinching the divisional title, they hit a rough patch this weekend. They dropped a game on Saturday, but the real blow might be losing their veteran first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, especially with the ALDS just a week away. Rizzo took a tough hit—literally—when he suffered a fracture in his fourth and fifth fingers on his right hand.

How did that happen? Rizzo got nailed by a slider in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 9-4 loss to the Pirates. Not only did they lose that game, but it also meant missing another chance to secure the American League’s top seed. Luckily, the Astros came to the rescue by beating the Guardians, so the Yankees clinched it by the end of the night. Now, with the playoffs just around the corner, the big question is: Will Rizzo be ready? According to the team manager, the prognosis looks hopeful, but there could be one other issue for the player.

How does Aaron Boone feel about Rizzo’s injury?

See, as per the New York Post, Aaron Boone is holding out hope, stating that Rizzo’s injury “doesn’t totally rule him out” for the playoffs. But it’s all about pain tolerance now—can Rizzo handle the discomfort and make it back for the ALDS or beyond? And we understand With those fractured fingers, gripping a bat and squeezing his glove would be difficult for anyone, and the same for the player. But there is one thing we can’t stop and point at that. Just earlier this week, Boone was raving about how the Yankees were the healthiest they’ve been all season.

Since then, the Yankees have taken a hit, losing Nestor Cortes to a left elbow flexor strain, and now they are worried about how Anthony Rizzo’s fractured fingers heal. Evil eye? Maybe! But despite it, Boone is playing it cool, saying, “I don’t want to jump to anything. We’ll see how he responds in the next several days before we kick this thing off in a week.” We all wish Tony makes a speedy comeback because this injury is all about how well one can handle the pain. We are not saying this, but the team physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad, noted this, saying such injuries can be tricky.

The doctors are talking about one’s pain tolerance—and that doesn’t matter whether you can handle it or not. And let’s give Rizzo some credit; the 35-year-old tried to handle it well by sticking it out in that game against the Pirates instead of heading for the exit right away. But if the baseman doesn’t come back and things go south, the team may already have a contender to replace him.

Who can replace Anthony if things go south?

While Rizzo showed some serious grit by staying in the game to run the bases after getting hit, he couldn’t make it back for the top of the eighth. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera stepped in to cover first base on Saturday and can be a candidate if things go down. But wait before fixing him up, there’s another name Aaron Boone threw into the mix—Ben Rice! The rookie who already filled in when Rizzo was sidelined earlier this season. Yes, you heard it right; this isn’t the World Series champ’s first injury of 2024! The 35-year-old missed two and a half months with a forearm fracture!

And then Ben Rice stepped up—can he do it again? It feels like déjà vu! Rice kicked off his major league career with a bang before cooling down, but he’s been hitting well since returning to Triple-A this month. So young talent might just be the answer! For now, Boone described Tony as “upbeat” and hopeful about the recovery, though the Yankees won’t have clarity on his status until later this week. While Rizzo’s recent plate appearances since September 1 haven’t been quite what everyone expected, the baseman’s presence remains valuable to the team!

Did you know Rizzo is one of only two active Yankees who’ve lifted the World Series trophy, alongside Juan Soto? As the team aims to end that trophy drought, what’s better than having someone with that experience in the lineup? So let’s keep our fingers crossed! On another note, there is something positive too: the Yankees hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians, ensuring Boone’s squad will enjoy home-field advantage through the ALCS. Despite what happens on Saturday. What do you think? Will we see Rizzo in the playoffs, or will it be Rice? Drop your thoughts in the comments!