Anthony Rizzo has been sidelined since mid-June with a broken right hand, but he could return to the lineup whenever the Yankees deem him ready to recover.
After all, the Yankees were left with holes in their offense for much of the season due to disappointing performances from their main replacements at the position, DJ LeMahieu and Ben Rice.
The Yankees have not yet announced when Rizzo will return, or whether it will be this weekend against the Cardinals in the Bronx, but hitting coach James Rowson is excited for him to return.
“This gives us more depth. We want depth right now,” said Rowson, who has seen a lineup that relies too heavily on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. “So the more depth we have, the better.”
But as Rizzo himself said, the Yankees don't just need his presence in the lineup, they need him to hit like he has in the past.
It's something he hasn't done much of late, especially before suffering an untimely injury against the Red Sox on June 16.
Before landing on the disabled list, Rizzo was coming off a tough 29-game stretch with just three extra-base hits and a .430 OPS.
He was two hits in eight at-bats with one home run, two walks and four strikeouts in four rehab games with Double-A Somerset and did not play for the team on Thursday.
“We know the value of Rizzo, especially when Anthony Rizzo is healthy,” said Rowson, who visited Brush Park in Mount Vernon on Thursday to receive a city proclamation from city elected officials and leaders. “We know what he can do in this final stretch, so we're excited to have him back. The sooner the better.”
The Cardinals are scheduled to start three straight games with right-handed pitchers this weekend, meaning if Rizzo sits out at least a few games, the left-handed hitter Rice is likely to be named in the starting lineup.
Jasson Dominguez has started in left field for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in three of the past five games Thursday.
With rosters expanded on Sunday, Dominguez could be considered for a promotion back to the majors, where he could fill in as struggling left fielder Alex Verdugo.
Dominguez was first promoted to the Yankees last September and played in all eight games at center field before suffering a season-ending UCL tear.
Dominguez has played primarily at center since returning in June, but has seen increased time at left wing since returning from an oblique injury in mid-August.
While Verdugo has been hitting well recently, Dominguez has continued to flourish in the minor leagues and it was just a year ago that he made a big league splash, hitting four home runs in his first eight games.
Rowson spent part of Thursday at Brush Park, where he played for Mount Vernon Little League, and after receiving his award he spent time with current Little League players.
“It's humbling,” said Rowson, in his first season as the Yankees hitting coach, “words can't describe it. Coming here as a little kid and having a dream and then coming back and seeing that dream come true with the kids is just amazing. I played on this field. That's where it all began for me.”
