OAKLAN, Calif. — Anthony Rizzo didn’t play in the Yankees’ 3-2 win over the A’s on Friday night, as Aaron Boone looked to get the first baseman a night off with Oakland lefty JP Sears on the mound.
But since returning from back spasms earlier in the month, Rizzo is just 11-for-53 with three doubles, a homer, five walks and 20 strikeouts.
He insisted Friday the downturn at the plate is not because of the aftereffects caused by the back injury that he’s dealt with throughout his career.
“I feel fine,’’ Rizzo said. “I’m just not playing as well as I should be. There’s no excuses.”
Anthony Rizzo has a higher strikeout rate (19 percent) than in any previous full year and his batting average has dipped to .224. AP Photo/Adam HungerBoone said he wanted to be “mindful with what he’s had to deal with his back and pick spots here and there” to rest Rizzo.
Rizzo missed five games because of the back injury and even with the slump, only Aaron Judge has more homers, RBIs, a higher OPS and OPS-plus on the Yankees than Rizzo.
He doesn’t think there’s any correlation between the back woes and his slump.
“I don’t believe so,’’ Rizzo said. “It’s probably just a coincidence. I’m doing everything I can to turn it around. I got off to the best start of my career this season, so it’s been a weird year.”
Boone called Nestor Cortes’ groin strain a “low Grade 2” and pushed back on the notion that the team placed the lefty on the injured list just to limit his workload.
“Some people think it’s a rest thing,’’ Boone said. “This is not a rest thing. It’s a groin injury.”
MLB has protocols in place to prevent teams from using IL without an actual injury.
The Yankees remain optimistic Cortes is on the mend. The left-hander threw and ran again on Friday.
Boone said the goal was for Cortes to be able to throw off the mound at some point on this 10-game road trip.
“The fact that he’s able to do things and symptomatically is doing well hopefully speeds up the process,’’ Boone said.
Clay Holmes threw live batting practice before Friday’s game and said he had no issues with his back.
The right-hander expressed optimism he would be active soon and was already ready to pitch in a game. Boone has said he’ll determine Holmes’ role once he gets back into the pen, but right now, they don’t have a clear closer.
Lou Trivino warmed up in the bottom of the ninth wearing the wrong jersey before the team noticed and he switched out of Jameson Taillon’s No. 50 and into his No. 56. Trevino’s locker is next to Taillon’s in Oakland and he said he may have grabbed it by mistake.
Harrison Bader (plantar fasciitis) isn’t on the trip, but he began a running program on Friday and is scheduled to begin hitting on Saturday.
“He’s doing pretty well,’’ Boone said.
