The back injury that has plagued Anthony Rizzo throughout the season will keep him out of action for the third straight game on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Yankees submitted their lineup card without their usual first baseman, indicating that Rizzo needs more time to resolve the issue.
Here is the #Yankees lineup that RHP Adam Wainwright and the #STLCards will face today in Game 3 of the series. Former Cardinal great Matt Carpenter is back in the No. 3 slot with Anthony Rizzo (back soreness) still out. pic.twitter.com/uhDqxlxSaX
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 7, 2022
Rizzo last played Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners, a game in which he went 0-for-4. Since then, the Yankees have dropped two straight against their interleague rivals, failing to generate any meaningful offense, scoring just three runs across the two games while getting shut out on Saturday.
That downturn in offense doesn’t lie squarely on Rizzo’s shoulders, although the three-time All-Star has been a key contributor for the Yankees all season. Rizzo is second to MVP-frontrunner Aaron Juge in on-base plus slugging percentage, home runs, and runs batted in.
DJ LeMahieu is covering for Rizzo on first Sunday against the Cards.
Rizzo’s absence could be hurting the Yankees in the betting market. New York’s moneyline has dropped to -132 at FanDuel Sportsbook on news that he wouldn’t be participating.