Yankees' Anthony Rizzo will be absent from the AL Division Series due to fractured fingers.

NEW YORK — Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will be sidelined for the AL Division Series against Kansas City due to fractured fingers, which he believes will heal in time for him to potentially rejoin the team for the Championship Series, should New York progress. Rizzo sustained fractures to his fourth and fifth fingers after being struck by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki last Saturday. He mentioned that he was able to hit and field on Friday.

“You don’t truly realize which fingers you use to grip your glove until two of them are broken,” he remarked prior to Saturday’s game. A three-time All-Star and a 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, the 35-year-old recorded a batting average of .228, along with eight home runs and 35 RBIs over 92 games during a season plagued by injuries. “Pushing through it, I wouldn’t be able to perform at my best, either defensively or offensively,” he stated. “I had to be truthful with myself, and while it is difficult, this team possesses a different aura and energy right now, and I am hopeful to join them in the next round.”

Should the Yankees advance, they are set to commence the Championship Series on October 14. Rookie Ben Rice or Oswaldo Cabrera are expected to take the starting position at first base against the Royals. Rice, 25, has a batting average of .171, with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 50 games with the Yankees, including a notable three-homer game against Boston on July 6. As a catcher progressing through the Yankees system, Rice has been seeking advice from Rizzo. “I’m just trying to learn from him about various situations, like when we’re practicing fungos, asking, ‘If the ball is hit this way or that way, how should I handle it?’” Rice explained.

Cabrera, also 25, has a batting average of .247, with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 108 games. Rizzo mentioned that the staff has determined the best way to wrap his hand within his glove. “Catching balls at high velocity definitely exacerbates the pain more than it should,” he noted. “After consulting with the doctors, I am hopeful that in another week or ten days, I will feel significantly better.” Rizzo previously missed 62 games due to a fractured right forearm sustained during a collision with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino in July.