Yankees' Aaron Boone gives concerning reason for Anthony Rizzo's ALCS Game 1 exit

Anthony Rizzo, nursing two fractured fingers in his glove hand, laced a 105 MPH single in his first at-bat for the New York Yankees since the ill-timed hit-by-pitch that caused his pain.

Game 1 of the ALCS at home against the Cleveland Guardians marks one hell of a reentry point, but Rizzo has always felt comfortable under the playoff lights. For him, it represented light work.

But by the ninth inning, the narrative had swung. Rizzo dove over a Brayan Rocchio grounder in the eighth inning, allow it to trickle by and nearly leading to the Yankees' undoing. Luke Weaver entered and bailed out Tim Hill/Rizzo, but the game had unnecessarily tightened because of an uncharacteristic bit of fielding negligence. In the ninth inning, Rizzo was replaced on defense -- bizarre, considering "defensive replacement" seemed like his most likely role when he was surprisingly added to the roster on Monday.

Had some pain returned in his fingertips? Did he aggravate something on a swing (he batted in the eighth and just got under a fly ball to right on a home run cut)? Did he land too hard on the glove hand on the wayward dive? According to Aaron Boone, he perceived that Rizzo was "physically and emotionally spent." His removal had no impact on the game, but that perception certainly left us worrying.

Yankees' Anthony Rizzo seemed fine (physically) after ALCS Game 1 vs. Cleveland Guardians

After the game, when Rizzo spoke, he noted that he felt no pain (because of course he did), then confirmed Boone's belief that he'd likely be in there the next day.

The Yankees' starting first baseman showed flashes of reliability, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has something to provide at the dish. 105 MPH liners don't just materialize out of nowhere, then disappear without a trace. Perhaps he needed an inning-long breather for emotional recovery purposes after the eighth inning nearly got away from him and the team, or maybe Boone just thought he did. Either way, that diagnosis adds something nebulous to our worry-filled plate, which had previously been occupied only by more concrete fears.

Rizzo seemed happy in the postgame with his current status, and therefore we must be, too.

This is October, though. The month that all veterans scratch and claw to be a part of, lying through gritted teeth about their preparedness and well-being. That goes double for Rizzo, staring down his potential final weeks as a Yankee, and rolling his perceived ability to contribute to a potentially special playoff run around his brain as every answer unfolds. Here's hoping that Game 2 looks a bit more complete and concrete, from start to finish.