Anthony Rizzo is out for the 2024 AL Division Series due to injury

NEW YORK – Anthony Rizzo wanted to try out for the Yankees in the American League Division Series against the Royals, which begins Saturday. But on the eve of Game 1, the veteran first baseman admitted he wouldn’t be healthy enough to make the roster.

Still, Rizzo expressed confidence that he will be ready when the Bombers advance to the AL Championship Series.

“I had to be honest with myself, and it’s hard,” Rizzo said. “But this team has a different vibe at the moment and I am confident that I can hopefully join them in the next round.”

Ben Rice, who stepped in for an extended period earlier in the season when Rizzo missed 62 games with a fractured right forearm, will likely see most of the action at first base in the Division Series. In 50 games and 178 plate appearances, Rice slashed .171/.264/.349 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs.

Oswaldo Cabrera is also a starting option at first base, where Trent Grisham and Jon Berti also recently took over grounders.

Rizzo, the ultimate teammate who won a World Series with the Cubs in 2016, looks forward to providing advice and support to those who represent him.

“I just talk to them about different scenarios, colorful scenarios, different plays and pickoffs,” Rizzo said. “I am an open book. … I don’t know what the roster looks like yet, but whoever it is is more than capable of filling it and everyone supports each other, so I’m definitely confident.”

What makes Rizzo confident he can make it back to the ALCS, which is scheduled to begin Oct. 14?

“Today was the first day of trying to readjust my brain to just playing and working through everything,” Rizzo said. “Everyone kept asking me, ‘What do you think?’ And it was like, I don’t know. I haven’t tried it yet. So just go through it [putting some] Stuff in my glove, catching, I hit a little. Of course, it wasn’t anywhere near major league standards, but it felt a lot better than I expected. It’s encouraging, but it’s not at the point where I think I can help this team.”

Rizzo noticed an improvement in his catching on Friday.

“You don’t really know which fingers you’re squeezing in your glove until you have two broken ones,” Rizzo said. “I said today when I push it feels good. I definitely tampered with my glove. I figured out how to wrap the balls and stuff so I’m confident with all that, but just catching balls at high speeds definitely hurts more than it should. If I talk to the doctors, hopefully I will feel much better within the next 10 days and I can contribute to that.”

If this were the regular season, Rizzo said he would likely miss three to four weeks. But during the playoffs, he would be willing to endure more pain to be there for his teammates.

“This time of year, no one is 100 percent,” Rizzo said. “I will be 100 percent with what I have. I am confident, whatever I have to give for it. At this point it’s just not there. I am confident that I will be ready to contribute in the ALCS.”