Insider had 'telling' conversation with Anthony Rizzo weeks after 'likely' concussion

Rosenthal's chat with Rizzo happened at some point during the Yankees' three-game series against the Boston Red Sox from June 16-18 at Fenway Park. The longtime MLB insider asked the three-time All-Star if he felt like he was coming out of a slump and was surprised by the answer he received.

"Baseball writers typically ask such questions of struggling hitters. Struggling hitters generally reply by saying something like, 'Been working on some things. Starting to feel better,'" Rosenthal wrote. "Rizzo said no such thing. In fact, Rizzo gave an answer I had never heard from a struggling hitter, an answer he later told me he had never given a reporter. ... Rizzo, always affable, even in difficult times, looked at me, sort of gave a half-smile and said no, he wasn’t coming out of it. And that was pretty much the end of our conversation."

Rosenthal continued that he thought the interaction was "odd" and "a little confusing," but he "had pretty much forgotten about it" until Thursday, when the former longtime member of the Chicago Cubs reminded him of it. Rosenthal (who also works for MLB on FOX) was in attendance for the Yankees home game against the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Rizzo also discussed the topic in a news conference after the team announced that he was going on the injured list with post-concussion syndrome.

"I remember talking to someone and they said, ‘Do you feel like you’re coming out of this soon?’” he said. "I answered honestly that no, I don’t, because I couldn’t feel what you’re trying to feel as a hitter. I guess now we can link two and two together."

The issue stems from a collision at first base on May 28 with San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. The splits for Rizzo pre- and post-collision have been staggering.

After the collision, the four-time Gold Glove award winner was out for the next three games with a neck issue but passed all concussion protocols.

According to Rosenthal's report, Rizzo "smiled broadly" on Thursday and "felt relieved" after learning of his diagnosis and finally having an answer for his struggles.