Luke Voit went 0-for-4 in his return from his third IL stint this year, but after his role was put into question following the Yankees’ move to acquire Anthony Rizzo, his importance to the Yanks in the short term has grown immensely.
Rizzo, who began his Yankee tenure with a franchise-record six straight games with an RBI on top of his elite defense, is now on the COVID-19 IL, meaning Voit will likely see regular time at first base after his future with the organization was an unknown.
In the wake of multiple reports linking Voit to trade talks, last year’s home run leader will try to put that behind him and focus on helping the team continue its rise up the standings, and try to get back to his 2020 production that made him one of the best offensive first baseman in all of baseball.
“I guess it was a little frustrating, but the right opportunity came up for the front office to do something, and I haven’t played,” Voit said of the Rizzo trade. “It’s frustrating. Obviously, I wanna play. It’s gonna be difficult when he comes back…I’m just glad to be healthy and I’m gonna do whatever I can to help this team win, whether it’s at first base, on the bench or at DH. It’s a weird spot though, for sure.”
Voit has played in just 30 games this season, having been on the IL for a torn meniscus, a strained oblique and a bone bruise in his knee. Last year, despite leading the league in home runs, he dealt with a foot injury for much of the season, and battled a core issue in the second half of 2019. When healthy, Voit has been one of the Yankees’ best hitters since arriving in 2018, and now, in his third attempt to wipe the slate clean and start a new season, Voit is feeling optimistic about his physical health.
“I feel great,” Voit said. “It’s probably the best I’ve felt in a long time. Obviously the results weren’t there today, let the team down in two big spots…but overall I’m glad to be back with the guys and I’m excited for this playoff push.
“I can go every day. I’ve had like 100 off days this year, so I’m good.”
Rizzo will likely be back within two weeks, which will make Voit’s role with the Yankees a little less clear. He is slashing .232/.317/.357 on the year, but he has proven what he can do with regular at-bats, so long as he can stay healthy. Rizzo’s defense alone puts him ahead of Voit for the first base job, but Voit could find at-bats at DH as Giancarlo Stanton has begun to see playing time in the outfield. It’s not something Voit has had to deal with since arriving in New York, but suddenly, he is preparing to fight for playing time while trying to block out speculation of his future.
“It was a weird spot,” Voit said. “Obviously glad [Rizzo] is part of the team. I get it, I haven’t been around a lot this year. I was I guess in trade talks as well, you never know what can happen there, but I’m wearing pinstripes today. My job is to come to the field and work my butt off every day and play my heart out. Whenever my name is in the lineup, I’m gonna give it my all.”
Voit could still be moved when the season is over, but after not being dealt before the deadline, he is with the team for the rest of the season, and he will keep his focus on that, particularly the next week-plus, when he has his familiar starting role at first base.
“That’s something that can happen in the offseason, but right now, I’m worried about winning a World Series with the Yankees,” Voit said.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
