Yankees activate Anthony Rizzo, keep Jasson Domínguez in Triple-A

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees activated Anthony Rizzo from the injured list after the first baseman missed more than two months with a fractured right forearm and made three other moves on Sunday as part of their roster expansion to 28 players that did not include the promotion of top prospect Jasson Domínguez.

In addition to activating Rizzo, the Yankees recalled relievers Scott Effross and Ron Marinaccio along with outfielder Duke Ellis from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

“Excited to get him back,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees concluded a three-game series with the Cardinals. “As I’ve said for several days now, I feel like he’s in a really good mental place and physically I think (has) been feeling really good for a few weeks now.”

Rizzo missed 62 games after colliding with Red Sox reliever Brennan Bernardino in the seventh inning on June 16 at Fenway Park. Rizzo was running down the line and collided with Bernardino, who was covering first base following a ground ball to Dominic Smith. Rizzo appeared in five rehab games for Double-A Somerset and played three games at first base.

Rizzo was hitting .223 with eight homers and 28 RBIs in 70 games before the injury.

A three-time All-Star, Rizzo’s 2023 season was derailed on May 28 when he collided with San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. attempting to apply a tag on a pickoff try. He was diagnosed with a concussion two months later and hit .174 with 10 RBIs in 47 games after colliding with Tatis to finish with a .244 average, 12 homers and 41 RBIs.

“Whenever things aren’t going well, it’s easy to look at the negative if you want but it’s also focusing on getting back to being right,” Rizzo said. “That’s always the focus. There’s no shying away from it but as baseball players it’s what you go through and hopefully today it’s on the right track."

The Yankees acquired Rizzo from the Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline and re-signed him to a $40 million, two-year contract after he hit .224 with 32 homers and 75 RBIs in 130 games in 2022.

New York has a $17 million option for 2025 with a $6 million buyout.

Rizzo rejoined the Yankees after rookie Ben Rice and DJ LeMahieu split time at first base. New York’s first basemen are hitting .210 with 16 homers and 68 RBIs this season.

Domínguez went 0 for 4 as New York’s 27th man for the Little League Classic against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 18 and is hitting .306 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 37 games for Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

The 21-year-old Dominguez underwent Tommy John surgery last September and injured his oblique on a checked swing on June 15. He returned from the oblique injury Aug. 2.

“Certainly in the conversation, will remain in the conversation, moving forward,” Boone said. “When he comes up here, you’re going to want to play him every day. So he’ll continue to remain in that conversation. I feel like over the last couple of weeks, starting to play well coming back from the oblique injury. So, tough call right now but doesn’t mean that doesn’t change in a couple of days, two weeks, whatever that is but important for him to continue to play right now.”

Last season, he had four homers in eight games for the Yankees, batting .258 before getting hurt.

Effross was acquired from the Cubs at the 2022 trade deadline and appeared 13 games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. While recovering, he sustained a back injury that kept him sidelined until mid-June.

Marinaccio is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA in 14 appearances during four stints with the Yankees this season.

Ellis was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 26 and also appeared in eight games this season for the MLB-worst Chicago White Sox.

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Larry Fleisher, The Associated Press