As the Yankees remain hot, they’re getting some of their reinforcements back.
Anthony Rizzo and Aroldis Chapman are returning to the team Wednesday night, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters before the series finale against the Red Sox.
Rizzo has been on the COVID IL, and he said the symptoms he was experiencing hit him pretty bad for 6-7 days. But he took grounders and hit BP in between the split doubleheader Tuesday and is ready to go.
Rizzo’s return has Luke Voit on the bench in the Yanks’ lineup Wednesday, but Boone said that Voit remains a crucial piece of the team.
“The bottom line is Luke’s gonna play a big role on this team moving forward,” Boone said.
Rizzo will hit second and play first base Wednesday night.
As for Chapman, he went down with elbow inflammation that seems to have subsided. The Yankees have been shaky in the bullpen of late, though they’ve powered through some close calls in recent games.
Chapman has also been better since the All-Star break, owning a 0.90 ERA since July 16 (10 innings pitched). As the Yanks look to hold their postseason position — their first all season — having Chapman at his best is imperative.
The Yankees are still waiting on Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela before their starting nine is complete. Gary Sanchez returned from the IL on Tuesday, and Jordan Montgomery and Gerrit Cole each pitched for the first time off the COVID IL.