New York Yankees star Anthony Rizzo is not blaming anyone for the late diagnosis of his concussion that is likely linked to the May 28 incident against the San Diego Padres.
The Yankees recently placed Rizzo on the 10-day injured list due to what they are calling a “post-concussion syndrome.” The team revealed it is possible that the issue stemmed from Rizzo's collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. during their meeting with the Padres last May.
Of course the admission raised plenty of concerns from fans and experts alike, with many asking: why was it only detected now, more than two months after the incident? Considering all the advancements in medical technology and increased focus on players' health, it's definitely a massive miss that could have been dangerous.
Rizzo, however, emphasized that he doesn't think anyone really “missed” the concussion. He also highlighted that he liked the way the Yankees handled the situation about his health after the May 28 collision.
The 33-year-old also shared several noteworthy information about his post-concussion syndrome, particularly what neurologists said about concussion and how its after-effects might be a bigger issue.
“I don't think anyone missed it, honestly. We did the test. I passed the concussion test. I sat out for four days, played, felt fine and didn’t feel anything. Even talking to the neurologists, they said with concussions, sometimes it's the after-effects. Maybe the brain wasn't fully healed. As far as registering as a concussion, there were no signs of that,” Rizzon said in an interview with The Athletic.
“The way they handled it — the Yankees — I loved the way they handled it. They trusted me. I trusted them. We went on and played. Just talking with them and having dialogue, it’s not like an ankle injury where you feel the ankle injury all of the time. This is a brain injury. I’ve played this game for 17 professional seasons. The grind of the season wears on you always. Do you ever get tired throughout the year? Yes. Do you ever get fogginess throughout the year? Yes.”
Anthony Rizzo's concussion, home run drought
Anthony Rizzo's poor performance since the collision has also raised fears that concussion played a role in his sudden decline.
Before the Padres game back in May, Rizzo was slashing .304/.376/.508 with 11 home runs. In the 46 games he has played since then, his hitting numbers declined to .172/.271/.225 with just one home run.
Rizzo actually had a 45-game home run-less streak that only ended on July 23 against the Kansas City Royals. While it's great to see the veteran slugger hit a homer again, several fans couldn't help but think how much he was affected by his latest health issue. He was okay physically, but clearly, he's a different man since getting tested for concussion.
“No one missed this. Yes, it was missed. You had two months of me looking like I had no idea what I was doing but I was competing with the best I have,” Rizzo added. “The training staff didn’t miss this. I don’t think I missed this. We combined and said let's make sure we can see if something happened. I don't know. I'm happy I got tested because honestly this can really change the way baseball does their protocols. I’m not saying they need to change. I've had some guys reach out and say, ‘I feel these symptoms, too. I had this happen before and I felt like I lost it.' When you hear that from other guys, it's like all right, maybe there’s something to this.”
It remains to be seen how long Rizzo will be out after his stint on the injured list, but the Yankees will surely be cautious of his condition before bringing him back to action. Here's to hoping that getting more rest will help Rizzo get back to his previous level of play when he's dominating the MLB.
The Yankees are currently near the bottom of the AL East with a 58-53 record. They are still in contention for a Wild Card spot, and by choosing to keep their core at the MLB trade deadline, the Pinstripes made it clear they are not giving up on the season just yet despite the tough task they are facing.
In order to contend for the postseason, though, the Yankees will need Anthony Rizzo to be at his best health. There's not much time left for the New York franchise to stage a run for a playoff berth, so Rizzo's recovery will be crucial as well as they look to climb up the standings.
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