Yankees put 1B Anthony Rizzo on injured list with concussion symptoms amid lengthy slump

NEW YORK - A peculiar, two months-delayed diagnosis of concussion symptoms came as something of a relief to Anthony Rizzo.

The Yankees first baseman had become beyond frustrated by a brutal stretch at the plate, causing him to worry about ever getting his timing back.

"I'm not crazy for walking back to the dugout, consistently thinking, 'Man, how did I miss that pitch?' '' Rizzo said Thursday, after being placed on the 10-day injured list.

Rizzo, who turns 34 next week, will be evaluated weekly and does not have a specific timeline to return to the Yankees' lineup.

The lefty-hitting Rizzo was told he had "cascading'' concussion symptoms, likely related to a collision at first base with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres on May 28 at Yankee Stadium.

At the time, Rizzo passed concussion protocol, but had lately felt off; he described it as going to bed sober and waking up with a hangover.

His timing badly off at the plate, Rizzo is batting .172 (29-for-169) since the on-field collision, with one homer, nine RBI, 44 strikeouts and a .496 OPS.

Before slamming his head/neck into Tatis Jr.'s hip on a pickoff play, Rizzo was batting .304 on May 28. Six days later, Aaron Judge went on the IL with torn ligaments in his right big toe.

Couple that with subpar performance from veterans Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, and you get a fuller picture of last-place Yankees team, 10 games back in the competitive AL East and 3.5 games out of wild card spot Thursday.

Anthony Rizzo will be evaluated on a weekly basis

Rizzo had a battery of neurological tests Wednesday in New York. He was prescribed supplements, visual exercises and rest.

"With the regimen they put me on, I should be fully healed,'' said Rizzo, adding that he did not have any outward concussion symptoms - headache, memory loss, etc. - after the May 28 play.

Rizzo was told by the neurologist that "these things cascade afterward. Every concussion is different.''

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Oswaldo Cabrera was called up from Triple-A to replace Rizzo on the roster. Lefty-hitting Jake Bauers started at first base Thursday night, the opener of a four-game set with the Houston Astros.

Manager Aaron Boone said that Bauers and DJ LeMahieu would essentially split time at first base in Rizzo's absence.

Earlier Thursday, ex-Yankees slugging first baseman Luke Voit reportedly opted out of his Mets minor league contract, having compiled a 1.058 OPS with 14 homers and 35 RBI in 37 games at Class AAA Syracuse.

Over the last few days, Boone described Rizzo as having "complained of some fogginess which led to Tuesday's testing, which revealed "some cognitive impairment.''

Rizzo will be evaluated "week-to-week'' said Boone. "He's able to do physical activity ... but just avoiding the jarring contact, jumping, that kind of thing'' for the time being.

"Hopefully, we'll get him back (this season),'' said Boone.

Anthony Rizzo's delayed concussion diagnosis

The initial MLB-standard protocol Rizzo was put through on May 28 did not detect a concussion. That evening, the Yankees flew to Seattle for a series against the Mariners.

Rizzo described feeling tired on May 29, not abnormal for him following a cross-country flight. His neck pain "was addressed quickly'' and he "felt like we were ready to go, felt normal.

"Obviously, the struggles (at the plate since) have been well-documented,'' Rizzo said. "You try to figure out what's going on, whenever you're struggling'' and Rizzo anticipated he'd get through this period of being late on pitches.

But as his slump grew deeper, Rizzo - who struck out five times July 30 at Baltimore - confided in a teammate that he did not feel he was close to finding his timing and rhythm.

Rizzo wondered if he were "extra-fatigued'' or adding pressure to himself.

"I couldn't feel what you're trying to feel as a hitter,'' said Rizzo. "I guess, now we can link two and two together.''

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Anthony Rizzo, amid lengthy slump, put on injured list with concussion