The New York Yankees suddenly have something a lot more pressing to answer for than their disappointing 2023 season.
After announcing that Anthony Rizzo would be going to the IL with a concussion on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone made an important clarification about the injury. He said that Rizzo’s concussion likely dated back to a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. during a series against the San Diego Padres. Oh, alright. Well, it’s good to know they know when it happened, I suppose.
Except the said collision with Tatis Jr. happened in late May. Either the Yankees failed to diagnose Rizzo properly, or they just ignored any signs altogether, but this situation doesn’t have the best optics already.
Anthony Rizzo is going on the IL with a "likely concussion" that they're traced back to the Tatis Jr. incident in late May
(via @ChrisKirschner) pic.twitter.com/N9RpgYpqUF
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 3, 2023
Rizzo has continued to be an everyday player for the Yankees since that Padres series. He cleared initial concussion protocols, but evidently, those weren’t extensive enough. This is two months of Rizzo needing help with severe brain trauma and not getting it. I don’t know who screwed up or how, but that is unacceptable.
Plus, if that isn’t enough, Rizzo reportedly told the Yankees he was experiencing brain “fogginess” — a classic symptom of a concussion — and they still played him in two recent games against the Tampa Bay Rays.
I mean, come on.
The Yankees said that Rizzo mentioned the “fogginess” at the end of the Orioles series, when he went 0-for-5 with 5 K’s. He still played in the next two games vs. Tampa Bay.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 3, 2023
Whatever happened with Rizzo here, it’s inexcusable, and I’d love to hear a logically sound explanation from the Yankees about it.
MLB fans ripped the Yankees on Twitter
See, this is the wild thing. Sure, he cleared concussion protocols after this initial incident, and we can have a conversation about whether the protocols in place are stringent enough. But how do you put a guy in the lineup for two days AFTER he tells you he's having brain fog? https://t.co/ewKYzOvIjs
— Nick Stellini (@StelliniTweets) August 3, 2023
If I’m the MLBPA, I’m on the phone because I don’t know how this can come to life without any repercussions for anyone. https://t.co/ljg46QEZhS
— ari (@AriJordan_) August 3, 2023
Wow. Between this and German and the deadline, it might be time to fire anyone and everyone in a decision-making role in baseball operations and training staff. The Yankees are letting themselves turn into a joke one step at a time. https://t.co/OOZcCmvZ7g
— Lou DiPietro (@LouDiPietroWFAN) August 3, 2023
For the Yankees to allow this to go on for two months is alarmingly bad. https://t.co/fCQO3UV3cr
— Cody Delmendo (@Cody_CHGO) August 3, 2023
Concussion protocol for MLB is a joke apparently, just like the NHL https://t.co/ZJn3LiA0WP
— Dan Colucci (@coluccid2) August 3, 2023
Rizzo has been playing with a concussion since MAY!!!! Absolutely disgusted by the Yankees https://t.co/a9sPkNyaB3
— Emily Nyman (@EmSheDoesIt) August 3, 2023
Pretty crazy that the biggest circus show in NY baseball is NOT the team that just got swept by the 2nd worst team in baseball https://t.co/YsM5Am3Teg
— jack (@Jolly_Olive) August 3, 2023
But, like, how did Rizzo pass those tests for the last two months? Or are MLB teams just taking a guy at his word that he's okay after a serious collision on the field? https://t.co/gy2umJJwNu
— Sara Sanchez (@BCB_Sara) August 3, 2023
I'll take our overly cautious medical staff over whatever is going on with the Yankees. This is alarming. https://t.co/05tDpKr3D8
— Anne (@AnneRN79) August 3, 2023
