Yankees' Anthony Rizzo Gives Injury Update on Hand After Hit By Pitch Scare
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NEW YORK — At first glance, it looked like Anthony Rizzo was destined for the injured list.
Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi yanked a first-pitch fastball high and tight in the bottom of the fifth on Friday, hitting Rizzo on his right hand.
Instantly, Rizzo crumbled down to the dirt beside home plate, hunched over as manager Aaron Boone and a member of the team's training staff quickly joined him to assess the damage.
Rizzo took a few seconds for the pain to subside before staying in the game. Later in the evening, after a dramatic, 6-5 victory over Boston in 11 innings, Rizzo assured that his hand is feeling alright.
"Got me pretty good, but thankfully, nothing's wrong," Rizzo told reporters in New York's clubhouse.
Rizzo added, "it just kind of didn't feel normal. But thankfully, I kind of went away right away."
Earlier in the game, in his first at-bat of the season, Rizzo launched a two-run home run to right field, a no-doubter soaring 414 feet. Considering Yankees ace Gerrit Cole permitted three runs to score in the top of the first, Rizzo's blast was a key response to set the tone that this resilient club wasn't going anywhere.
"It definitely felt good to give us a boost like that," Rizzo said. "When you give up three runs there early, it's how we respond and it's a nice response for us even losing the lead again later, coming back."
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