CINCINNATI – Anthony Rizzo didn't hesitate when Cubs manager Joe Maddon asked if he'd finish at third base, a position he'd never played in his career.
"I said 'Yeah, I can play,' " said the lefthanded-throwing Rizzo on Wednesday. "I can field ground balls and throw. It's really as simple as you can make it."
Just for fun, Maddon moved Rizzo from first to third base Tuesday night after Kris Bryant got hit in the hand by a pitch and went for X-rays that were negative. Rizzo played his unaccustomed spot in the ninth inning and didn't get a ball hit his way in the Cubs' 13-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Rizzo became only the third lefthanded third baseman in Cubs history. The other two were in the 1800s. Although eager for the new experience, he started having second thoughts when he saw Joey Votto — the Reds' first batter of the ninth inning — dig in at the plate.
"I was not prepared at all," Rizzo said. "I've maybe taken ground balls there once this year, just to mess around.
"Everything's in reverse. You're seeing Votto from the other side. Seeing him from this side, it was just really weird. It felt like my equilibrium was off."
Associated Press
