Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo scratched as back issues return

FORT MYERS, Fla. —Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo’s back issues are back.

Rizzo was scheduled to go on his first road trip of spring training on Sunday, listed on the travel roster for both of the Yankees’ two games in Fort Myers. When the Yankees released their lineup for Sunday’s game against the Red Sox at JetBlue Park a few hours before first pitch, however, Rizzo’s name was missing. Lefty Billy McKinney was starting at first base in his place.

The revision to Rizzo’s spring schedule is due to a “cranky” back, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday. That crankiness first popped up in Rizzo’s previous Grapefruit League appearance according to Boone, a start against Boston back in Tampa on Thursday.

“He’s good,” Boone said. “Just decided to hold off and play him when we get home [on Tuesday]. He’s doing fine.”

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The Yankees can try to pump the breaks on concerns regarding their starting first baseman — an aging slugger that they signed to a two-year deal in free agency this winter — but this news is a big and bright red flag.

Rizzo has chronic back issues, an ongoing injury that resulted in a stint on the injured list last September. After missing a few spurts of games last summer, Rizzo landed on the IL, suffering from migraines after an epidural injection. He opted out of his deal with the Yankees in November, re-signing one week later.

Boone explained that this isn’t the same discomfort that Rizzo dealt with last year. If it was, he would need to undergo additional testing and as of right now, Rizzo is clear to return to the starting lineup on Tuesday. That doesn’t mean last year’s issue won’t come back going forward, or this new “crankiness” won’t evolve into something more serious.

“It’s as constant maintenance thing,” Boone added. “This is always a little thing that he deals with, at times knocking him out. At times he plays through. This would be something that during the season he would play through.”

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Rizzo hit .224 over 130 games last year, tying his career-high with 32 home runs. Despite the back issues at the end of the season, Rizzo was one of the Yankees’ most productive hitters in the playoffs, driving in eight runs in nine games.

The Yankees knew the risk when they gave Rizzo $40 million this winter. Time will tell if he can clear this hurdle and settle in for a normal and healthy remainder of the spring. What we know for certain, however, is that this issue isn’t going away and Rizzo is in danger of missing time at some point in 2023.

“It’s just something we’re trying to get ahead of, that’s all,” Boone said.