NEW YORK (AP) — Injuries keep piling up for the New York Yankees at just the wrong time.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo is headed to the 10-day injured list, the latest health-related setback for a banged-up team trying to hold onto first place in the AL East.
Rizzo is hampered by headaches the Yankees think are related to an epidural injection he received to alleviate lower back pain. He was expected to resume baseball activities Monday, then Wednesday, before the club decided Tuesday to place him on the IL.
“I don't think it's anything back-related now,” manager Aaron Boone said after Tuesday night's scheduled game against Minnesota was postponed because of rain.
It will be made up Wednesday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m.
Ronald Guzmán will be called up Wednesday from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to help fill in at first base.
The 27-year-old Guzmán is a .227 career hitter with 31 home runs in 243 major league games with Texas from 2018-21. He was batting .260 at Triple-A with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and an .823 OPS.
“He made a huge impression on me in spring training,” Boone said. “I really liked what I saw.”
Rizzo is far from the only key player hurting for the Yankees, who began the day five games in front of Tampa Bay and 5 1/2 ahead of Toronto after leading the AL East by 15 1/2 games on July 8.
Boone said slugger Giancarlo Stanton (left foot) and infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) were not going to play Tuesday if the game hadn't been rained out.
Stanton fouled a ball off his foot in Monday's 5-2 win over Minnesota and later left the game. He was feeling better Tuesday, according to Boone, but the manager said neither Stanton nor LeMahieu is sure to play Wednesday.
Right-hander Luis Severino, out since mid-July with a strained lat, is scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday for Double-A Somerset. He will likely throw about 50-55 and could rejoin the Yankees after that.
If not, he'll get another minor league outing before returning.
“I definitely feel like he can impact right away,” Boone said. “We'll see. We'll make that call.”
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (10-7, 3.28 ERA), who was scheduled to start Tuesday, was pushed back to Wednesday's nightcap. Domingo Germán (2-3, 3.12) will pitch the opener for New York.
Cole gave up a career-high five homers in 2 1/3 innings June 9 at Minnesota.
The Twins plan to call up local kid Louie Varland to start the opener in his major league debut. The 24-year-old right-hander was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he went to Concordia University before getting picked by his hometown team in the 15th round of the 2019 amateur draft.
Varland is 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings over four starts for Triple-A St. Paul. He went 7-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 19 starts and one relief outing for Double-A Wichita this season.
Right-hander Joe Ryan (10-7, 3.88 ERA), who had been slated to start Tuesday, goes in the second game.
Minnesota entered the day a game behind first-place Cleveland in the AL Central. The Guardians were set to play later in Kansas City.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sp
