KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Anthony Rizzo watched two games, chatted with teammates in the dugout and tried to help out however he could, but he never took an at-bat or hit a grounder at first base.
Rizzo said he worked on “everything” before and after his two games on the bench and analyzed his swing in an effort to get his season back on track.
On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone brought the first baseman back into the lineup and watched as Rizzo’s swing continued to produce no results.
In his first appearance since Saturday, Rizzo had three strong hits and solid defense but was 0-for-5 at-bats in the Yankees’ 10-1 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
“It’s no secret, but we’re struggling right now,” Rizzo said after his June tally dipped to 1-for-34 and his OPS dropped to .611. “That’s why I’m thankful for a sunny day in this game. … If we had one ball, [grass] Take a moment to breathe.”
Rizzo said he used the few days off to “analyze and dissect” his strokes and believes his swing is closer to what it was this past season.
Boone said he wanted Rizzo to “give his head a little break” by having the veteran first baseman sit on the bench in hopes the reset will work.
“I’m not happy about it, but I understand,” Rizzo said of the decision. “I wasn’t fighting. [Boone] I want to play every day.”
Though there were no immediate results, the process may have signaled an eventual breakthrough.
Rizzo hit balls at 104.9 mph (leading to an error by first baseman Nick Loftin), 98.4 mph and 96.8 mph, but none got beyond the infield.
“It was a bad situation, but I hit a couple of balls hard,” Rizzo said. Boone thought Rizzo was chasing the ball too much. “But the trends are the same. Grounders to the right, pop-ups to the left. I’m just trying to figure it out.”
Rizzo will have to prove he’s still as good as he has often been during the three-time All-Star’s career, and the Yankees can’t just go with their struggling first baseman.
The in-house replacement is DJ LeMahieu, while prospect Ben Rice is swinging well, first with Double-A Summerset and now with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The July 30 trade deadline is also looming.
Juan Soto entered the game as a designated hitter on Monday, returning to his right field position for the first time since missing three games with left forearm inflammation.
Soto had a long toss with outfield coach Luis Rojas just hours before the game that led to the go-ahead signal.
“I wanted to see how he woke up today,” Boone said of Soto, who was 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. “I’ve checked in with him and he said he feels good.”
Soto’s outfield role allowed Giancarlo Stanton, who helped the team win the game and hit his 16th home run of the season, to return to the lineup as designated hitter, although Stanton worked out in the outfield before the game on Monday.
Boone said it’s “possible” that Stanton could play shortstop or left field in the series at Fenway Park, which begins Friday.
“That’s how I prepared him,” Boone said of Stanton, who has yet to play in the outfield this season. “Whether I play the outfield or not, it’s just an option. … I haven’t played in the outfield yet, but I want him to continue to play in the outfield.”
Boone passed Billy Martin for the seventh-most managerial wins in Yankees history (557), surpassing the 1,460 won by Joe McCarthy from 1931-1946.
Gleyber Torres had an RBI single in the fourth inning, extending his season-high for most games with on base since May 23 to 18.
Gerrit Cole’s third rehab start will be Friday, likely at SWB, Boone said.
Right-hander Scott Efros, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and back surgery, threw some practice pitches in Tampa and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon.
The same is expected for right-hander JT Brubaker, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
