Anthony Rizzo's broken fingers mend ahead of World Series

The days off between the ALCS and the World Series were particularly helpful for New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo as he continues to recover from two broken fingers on his right hand, the veteran said in a video call with reporters on Wednesday.

Rizzo, 37, battled through pain in the Yankees' last-round victory over the Cleveland Guardians, hitting .429 in five games. Game 5 took place on Saturday, giving Rizzo five full days of recovery before the World Series begins this Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“The most important thing is to get rid of the swelling,” Rizzo explained. “It explodes between games, just because of the pressure. The bones are still broken but getting rid of the swelling was crucial. Hopefully we can fight as well as we can in the series.”

Rizzo was hit by a pitch at the end of the regular season that forced him to miss the ALDS, but he was named to the ALCS roster and exceeded expectations. He was 6 of 14 with a double and two walks, making his first appearance in several weeks.

“I can’t even believe it, to be honest,” teammate Austin Wells said. “It's a pretty incredible thing to have two broken bones in your hand and go out and do what he was capable of doing. I don't have many words for it. It shows how tough he is and the character he has. “That’s what he has and his willingness to go out there and do whatever it takes to help the team win.”

Rizzo stated that the team has “good medicine” that helps them get through every game. He could be an important hitter in the bottom half of the Yankees' lineup since the Dodgers don't have a plethora of lefty relievers to use against him and fellow lefties Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Jazz Chisholm.

Adrenaline and the excitement of being in the World Series also help Rizzo deal with the pain. He expressed his understanding that such moments do not happen very often.

“This is what you dream about,” Rizzo said. “You prepare for that. When the audience is loud and everything is going crazy, I feel like I calm down the most.”

Rizzo is one of the few Yankees with World Series experience, having won a championship with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. Teammates have asked him a lot of questions about participating in the Fall Classic.

“People ask what it was like,” he said. “That World Series (2016) was probably one of the best World Series of all time. Now I’m part of another, possibly one of the best World Series ever.”

Rizzo will face his good friend and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup in several NLCS games.

“He’s a gamer,” Rizzo said of Freeman. “He puts everything on the line for his team. I wouldn't expect anything less from him. It will be fun to share the field with him on the World Series stage.”

Wells is also excited about the series, but comes at it from a different perspective than Rizzo. He's making it through the postseason in his first full year in the major leagues. There's a lot to take in.

“I don’t think any of this has been processed for me yet,” Wells said. “We’re just going to keep going and keep winning. After it's all said and done, it's going to be a lot crazier for me in my own eyes. Right now I just feel like I'm in the thick of it and trying to help the team win.”