Yankees' Anthony Rizzo Cleared for Baseball Activities After Getting Blood Patch

New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo has had an ailing lower back in recent weeks, but he reportedly took a step toward recovering Friday.

Via ESPN's Marly Rivera, Rizzo can resume baseball activities Sunday after getting a blood patch to facilitate his recovery from an epidural injection he received to treat chronic lower-back tightness. Rizzo has been on the injured list since Tuesday after he suffered migraines following the epidural.

Rizzo missed four games in early July and five more in early August because of back issues. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays that the 33-year-old has responded well to his recent treatment.

"He had a blood patch yesterday [Friday], which so far has been deemed really successful," Boone said. "Immediately, they had him moving around and walking, and I think it freed him up right away. Headaches are gone so far. And if he's still in this position tomorrow [Sunday], we'll start ramping up. But he's really excited about how good he feels."

Per Rivera, the blood patch "would have consisted of injecting Rizzo's own blood into the epidural space near his spine to help seal off any leaks after the earlier injection."

When asked about a timeline for Rizzo's return, Boone said he was hoping to have the first baseman back in about a week. The Yankees will visit the Boston Red Sox for two games and Milwaukee Brewers for three starting Tuesday.

"We'll see," Boone said. "He's been basically laying down for a while. At the back end of the trip it may be possible. But it'll kind of depend on how the ramp-up goes. Hopefully, we've gotten through what we need to, and now we can start building that process. We'll just pay attention to how he's doing and how long it takes him to get rolling."

Rizzo is second on the team with 30 home runs, 71 RBI and an .832 OPS in 117 games. New York is trying to hold on to first place in the American League East and leads the Rays by 4.5 games.