Chicago Cubs: What does Rizzo injury mean for playoff chances?
By Ben Fadden
Cubs first basemen Anthony Rizzo exited Sunday’s win vs Pittsburgh with an ankle sprain, so how big of an impact will that have on their Wild Card hopes?
Chicago Cubs first basemen Anthony Rizzo was forced to exit Sunday afternoon’s win over the Pittsburgh Pirates after rolling his ankle while fielding a bunt.
He has reportedly sprained his right ankle and will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
Rizzo has yet again been a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the Cubs lineup, as he is batting .289 with 26 homers and 93 RBI’s.
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As I said the Cubs were able to win and complete a series sweep of the Pirates to remain a game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the second wild-card spot.
But, shortstop Javier Baez is already out for the remainder of September and if Rizzo is out for an extended period of time, the Cubs might be in trouble.
Unlike the Brewers, who play all non-contending teams in the Padres, Pirates, Reds, and the Rockies, Chicago has a tough schedule ahead.
They still play the Cardinals seven more times, who are just two games upon them in the NL Central.
So, the Cardinals are going to be fighting for that division and the Cubs are going to be fighting to gain games on them for the division, but if the Cubs don’t have their first basemen that will leave a big hole in their lineup.
Opposing pitchers consistently say that Anthony Rizzo gives them the hardest time on the mound because he stands right on the plate and knows how to fight off any pitch thrown.
The absence of Rizzo will help the opposing pitchers because they will have less stressful innings, allowing them to pitch deeper into games.
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If Rizzo is out a significant amount of time, then it will give the Brewers a big opportunity to jump in front of the Cubs and steal a wild card in the last weeks of the regular season.