Anthony Rizzo injury: Yankees slugger fractures finger, but Aaron Boone not ruling him out for playoffs

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a fractured finger on his right hand during his team's eventual 9-4 Saturday loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates . Manager Aaron Boone, however, told reporters that the injury doesn't necessarily mean Rizzo will be sidelined:

Rizzo suffered the injury when he was struck on the hand by a Ryan Borucki slider in the seventh inning:

Rizzo remained in the game to run the bases. However, he was lifted after the frame and replaced by Oswaldo Cabrera , who moved over from shortstop. Anthony Volpe took Cabrera's vacated spot at short.

The 35-year-old Rizzo, who went 1 for 2 at the plate before leaving the game, is now batting .228/.301/.335 on the season with nine home runs in 92 games. That's not strong production for a first baseman, and it comes after Rizzo's disappointing 2023. The injury is nonetheless significant because Rizzo, when healthy, is a lineup regular for the Yankees, and the Yankees are headed to the postseason as the American League East champs.

The Yankees, who have now lost two in a row, are a half-game in front of the Cleveland Guardians in the race for top seed in the AL bracket. The Yankees have already secured a first-round bye, which, perhaps significantly for Rizzo, means they won't play until the Division Series.