ANAHEIM — The Yankees hope dropping Anthony Rizzo down within the lineup will assist him get again his swing again on observe. Monday evening, Rizzo was hitting sixth, a spot within the lineup he has not been in since 2011.
“I’ll do anything to help us hit first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth. Just want to help anywhere,” Rizzo stated.
The 33-year-old is hitting .223/.337/.480 with an .817 OPS and 28 homers this season, although 22 of these homers got here within the first half of the season. That was when Rizzo hit .224/.344/.498 with an .842 OPS. In the second half he’s hitting .219/.317/.429 with a .745 OPS and 6 homers.
“Right now, obviously, I’m not hitting them the way I’d like to be. There’s some bad ones but there’s just gotta keep grinding,” Rizzo stated. “I’ve got to compete and just work through going up there knowing I can compete and get that good-feeling swing back.”
Rizzo has been coping with again points since proper earlier than the All-Star break. He missed 4 video games in July and 5 in August. Since getting back from his second stint of missed video games, Rizzo’s hitting .200/.273/.300 with a .573 OPS and a house run.
“The guy’s got 28 homers and is wildly productive,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone stated when requested about Rizzo’s struggles this yr. “He’s just not hitting for a high average. I felt like you know before it went down and missed the five games because of the back, felt like right before that he was really starting to catch fire again. And then it’s just been slow to get rolling, kind of battling through.”
NEXT UP NESTOR
Nestor Cortes, who was positioned on the injured record Thursday with a strained left groin, is hoping to get on the mound for the primary time on Wednesday and throw a aspect session.
“If that goes well then he could potentially throw a live (batting practice) at the complex at Tampa on Saturday,” Boone stated. “And if that were to go, well, then you’d get slotted back into the rotation on the homestand.”
OLD FRIEND
Phil Nevin was appointed interim supervisor of the Angels shortly after Anaheim left the Bronx. So Aaron Boone has not had the possibility to see in particular person and handle in opposition to his shut buddy and the Yankees’ former third base coach, but. Monday evening would be the first time they go head-to-head — and will probably be just a little unusual.
“It’s always good to see Phil,” the Yankees supervisor stated Sunday. “Hopefully we are able to make it robust on them. They are coming off clearly a extremely good sequence in Toronto. So will probably be good to see him, however hopefully hopefully we are able to make it robust.
“We can shake hands a little bit I think.”
Nevin was Boone’s third base coach from his hiring in 2018 till his contract was not renewed after final season together with hitting coaches Marcus Thames and PJ Pilittere and first base coach Reggie Willits.
Boone and Nevin have been mates for much longer and it was a blow.
“It hurt, honestly,” Boone instructed reporters in October after he signed a contract extension with the Yankees. “Those are people that I love and care about a lot. But at the same time it’s also the nature of the business. There are tough decisions that have to be made. That’s a reality we have to face every year, some years they hit you a little harder…my relationships with those guys remain strong and I know they’ll land on their feet wherever the road ends up next in their baseball life, but the relationship I have with those guys will last forever.”
Nevin was employed by the Angels to be their third base coach and when Joe Maddon was fired June 7 — 5 days after they have been within the Bronx — he took over as interim supervisor.
MORE BULLPEN MANEUVERS
After Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the A’s, the Yankees optioned right-hander Luke Bard again to Triple-A Scranton. The Yankees wanted to make room on the 26-man roster to activate Clay Holmes off the injured record.
Bard pitched a scoreless inning Sunday. Greg Weissert, the rookie who was the opposite candidate to be optioned, pitched two scoreless innings, putting out three on Sunday. It was a dramatic rebound from his main league debut on Thursday the place he hit two batters along with his first two pitches and had a balk in between. He recorded one out in that recreation and was accountable for three runs.
Boone admitted that Weissert’s efficiency on Sunday factored into the choice.
“We felt like Weissert was right now,” Boone stated.
The Yankees additionally positioned Marwin Gonzalez on the paternity record and recalled Tim Locastro from Triple-A Scranton.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com