The Yankees introduced following right now’s sport towards the Cardinals that they’ve optioned catcher/first baseman Ben Rice and right-hander Will Warren to the minor leagues. It seems possible that Rice’s demotion to the minors is expounded to the upcoming return of veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the 60-day Injured Checklist, as Brendan Kuty of The Athletic was amongst these to report that the Yankees are “possible” to activate Rizzo from the IL tomorrow. The membership might want to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to accommodate Rizzo’s return.
An energetic roster transfer like optioning Rice wasn’t essential to accommodate Rizzo, as rosters are set to develop from 26 to twenty-eight because the calendar flips to September tomorrow. With that being stated, the return of the 35-year-old from the injured listing appeared all however assured to wipe out the enjoying time that Rice has been afforded since Rizzo went down with a damaged arm again in June. In 175 journeys to the plate since then, the rookie has struggled on the plate with a slash line of simply .175/.259/.356 (75 wRC+) capped off by a brutal month of August the place he’s hit simply .057/.171/.057 in 13 video games.
These numbers are worse than even the figures posted by Rizzo in what was a career-worst marketing campaign previous to his harm. The veteran slugger struggled to a .223/.289/.341 slash line with a wRC+ of 80 in 70 video games previous to his placement on the IL again in June, by far the worst offensive efficiency of he’s posted since a 49-game stint with the Padres throughout his rookie season again in 2011. The Yankees are absolutely hoping that the embellished veteran, who made three All-Star appearances and posted a 131 wRC+ in his decade-long run with the Cubs from 2012 to 2021, will be capable to return to type down the stretch and put up numbers nearer to the .238/.337/.446 (116 wRC+) line he’s posted for the reason that 2021 season when he first donned a Yankees uniform.
Trying forward, New York holds a $17MM membership possibility on Rizzo’s companies for 2025. Barring an otherworldly efficiency from Rizzo down the stretch and within the postseason this yr, it appears all however sure that possibility might be declined in favor of a $6MM buyout, permitting Rizzo to change into a free agent for the third time in his profession. Rizzo’s efficiency over the subsequent month, now that his damaged arm is healed and he’s greater than a yr faraway from the concussion that derailed the latter half of his 2023 marketing campaign, figures to be of nice significance to his prospects on the open market this fall.
Additionally departing the Yankees’ roster alongside Rice is Warren, a rookie right-hander who made his fifth begin with the membership earlier right now. Warren’s first stint within the large leagues ends with a 9.55 ERA in 21 2/3 innings of labor, and the righty will return to Triple-A in hopes of sorting issues out in an atmosphere with much less stress. Warren’s departure leaves a vacant spot within the membership’s rotation, however with a break day on Thursday the membership received’t want a fifth starter once more till September 10 towards the Royals. Warren’s departure creates room for the Yankees so as to add to pitchers to the energetic roster tomorrow alongside Rizzo and a second hitter: one to interchange Warren and one to occupy the expanded roster spot created tomorrow.
