New York Yankees fans will always appreciate someone valiantly playing through pain. New York Yankees fans will also remain fatalistic about severe injuries interfering with their grand plans until they experience a season that isn't derailed by a series of stunners. That said ... as much as we fear injuries and want to see players jump back up and resume their participation in the action, there comes a time when enough is enough. Reality always wins out.
It didn't take a doctor to realize that, even though the Yankees couldn't afford an Anthony Rizzo injury in 2023, they were living in the middle of one as the first baseman plodded through the summer with reduced reaction time due to an undiagnosed concussion.