Anthony Rizzo started his 25th consecutive game at first base on Wednesday night, amid a delayed start to this season, one year after his season was prematurely ended due to a concussion.
The Yankees haven’t been able to give Rizzo any breathing room after a below-average defensive season in which he entered the game with an OPS of just .626.
The official backup first baseman is Oswaldo Cabrera, who became the starting third baseman.
The Yankees’ infield is unbalanced and will likely remain unbalanced for some time due to the setbacks of DJ LeMahieu and Jon Barty not yet ready to return from the injured list.
Manager Brian Cashman believed LeMahieu’s return would solve the problem, but the Yankees’ infield woes were further complicated when his foot hurt immediately after he began rehab on Tuesday.
“I feel like we got a little bit of exposure, especially in the first base coverage behind Rizzo,” Cashman said at a mural unveiling hosted by the Bronx Children’s Museum and the Players Alliance. “And the left side of the infield coverage is a little bit exposed because Berti is down and obviously LeMahieu is down. We’re a little bit vulnerable right now because of that.”
The Yankees entered the game with six healthy outfielders and five healthy infielders, including recently picked up Taylor Trammell and rarely used Trent Grisham.
The only backup in the dirt was Jamai Jones, who is limited primarily to second base as an infielder.
So Cabrera can’t roam the field and is stuck at third base, Rizzo is locked in at first base, and Anthony Volpe literally has to be the everyday shortstop.
Berti, who is out with a torn left groin muscle, could begin rehabilitation this weekend and could be optioned next week.
When he’s ready, he could become a fairly regular player at third base, allowing Cabrera to move around and give Rizzo and Volpe a day off here and there.
But with 17 games in 17 days, the Yankees will likely have to survive with a thin bench for at least another week.
Before the Yankees faced the Athletics in the Bronx, manager Aaron Boone admitted that he was “a little worried” about the first base position. “Obviously, it’s not that deep at this point.”
Boone said catcher Austin Wells and outfielder Grisham have been practicing initially and are a possibility, but he said it looks like they need immediate backup answers from the current roster.
The only infielder on Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 40-man roster is Jovit Vivas, who has been activated from the IL but is not yet in position to be called up.
Oswaldo Peraza was seen as a wandering backup infielder in early spring. He will be out for at least a few weeks from a rehab assignment due to his shoulder injury.
Triple-A prospects like Caleb Durbin and Jeter Downs could help, but adding them to the 40-man roster means that if a player is on the 60-day injured list That could mean having to remove him from the 40-man roster. Gerrit Cole, Lou Trivino, Jason Dominguez and others will be active.
“I don’t want to touch 40 points,” Cashman said. “You better not get stuck. Hopefully you can just swim through it.”
The Yankees will need to continue relying on Volpe to get through this situation. Volpe has played in 183 of 186 games this season. Although he has started every game, he will have to hope that Rizzo stays healthy, especially on the offensive end, as he has shown little signs of life.
They also have to continue playing Cabrera every day and are hoping for a breakout season in April.
They don’t have many other options at the moment.
“I don’t think the right choice for Mr. Boone right now is all that reassuring,” Cashman said. “But that’s also the nature of the beast as it dictates how the season plays out. You’ve got to hone your rope with what you’ve got. And people are asked to do things that they’re probably not used to doing. It happens every year.”
