PLAY RIGHT NOW. >> Meredith: ONE THING THAT THEY DO KNOW, THEY HAVE ANTHONY RIZZO BACK. HE MISSED 66 GAMES WITH A RIGHT-FOREARM FRACTURE. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH UP WITH RIZZO TO ASK HIM JUST HOW EXCITED HE IS TO REJOIN THIS TEAM FOR THE STRETCH RUN. >> OH, FEELS LIKE GOING TO SCHOOL AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME. IT'S JUST EXCITING. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE OUT FOR A LONG PERIOD, YOU REALLY MISS THE GAME. IT'S WHAT WE LOVE TO DO, IT'S WHAT I LOVE TO DO. AND EXCITED JUST TO BE BACK AND BE PART OF THIS TEAM. IT'S -- THE TEAM'S BEEN BATTLE-TESTED THROUGHOUT UP TO THIS POINT AND I'M EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT AGAIN. >> Meredith: WHAT TOLD YOU YOU WERE READY? >> I JUST THINK PLAYING IN THE REHAB GAMES, PLAYING THE FIELD, REALLY. HITTING HAS FELT FINE FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW. THE FIELDING WAS LATELY BEHIND JUST AS FAR AS CERTAIN MOVEMENT, BUT NOW IT'S PAIN-FREE AND STRENGTH IS THERE. >> Meredith: WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECT AGUILAS FOR YOU COMING BACK? SOMETIMES IT TAKES A WHILE TO SEE THAT PITCHING AND GET IN SYNC AT THE PLATE. >> TO COME UP AND MAKE APRIL. I THINK SAW THE BALL REALLY WELL, WATCHING TRAJECT AND THE REHAB GAMES I SAW THE PITCHES WELL, SO GETTING THE TIMING, BIG-LEAGUE TIMING UP TO SPEED, JUST EXCITED TO BE BACK. >> Meredith: YOU MENTIONED TRAJECT, HOW MUCH OF A LUXURY IS THAT TO HAVE GETTING READY QUICKER? >> YEAH, IT'S DEFINITEY AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO FACING A PITCHER WITHOUT FACING A HUMAN. SO DEFINITELY TRY TO KEEP MY EYES IN TUNE TO THAT SPEED AND THE TIMING AND VISUALIZE AIR, BUT NOTHING SIMULATES BEING OUT AT YANKEE STADIUM. BUT I'VE DONE IT PLENTY OF TIMES, SO I'M EXCITED TO DO IT AGAIN TODAY. >> Meredith: WHAT HAVE YOU THOUGHT WATCHING THIS TEAM FROM AFAR? >> I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S BEEN FUN. EVERYONE JUST STAYS THE COURSE. YOU KNOW, UP, DOWN. IN, OUT. DOESN'T MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON. GUYS SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND CONTINUE TO GRIND, AND IT STARTS WITH JUDGEY, STARTS WITH SOTO, THOSE TWO GUYS GO OUT EVERY DAY, VOLPE GOES OUT EVERY DAY, THESE GUYS COME EVERY DAY READY TO PLACEMENT OUR PITCHING STAFF'S BEEN GOOD AND WE'VE BEEN PIECING THINGS TOGETHER AT TIMES AND LOOKED REALLY GOOD AT TIMES, IT'S SEPTEMBER BASEBALL NOW. >> Meredith: ARE THERE ANY LIMIT ALKINS' COMING BACK, CAN YOU GO EVERY DAY OR SIT A PROCESS OF EASING YOU BACK INTO AN EVERYDAY ARE YOU MEAN? >> I FEEL LIKE I'M READY TO GO EVERY DAY. DEFINITELY MY EMPHASIS IS KEEPING MY LEGS UNDER ME, READY TO GO SO I WAS READY TO COME OUT SPRINTING AND NOT HAVING TO EASE BACK. I FELT LIKE I'VE BEEN READY FOR OVER A WEEK NOW TO BE ABLE TO PLAY EVERY DAY, BUT JUST GOTTA COME OUT NOW AND PLAY AND TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME. >> Meredith: YOU MENTIONED SEPTEMBER BASEBALL, WHAT DO YOU THINK SEPTEMBER IS GOING TO BE LIKE HERE IN THE BRONX? >> SHOULD BE LOUD. SHOULD BE EXCITING. WE PUT OURSELVES IN A REALLY GOOD POSITION TO HAVE EXCITING BASEBALL, MEANINGFUL BASEBALL THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. I KNOW THAT'S WHAT THIS ORGANIZATION EXPECTS, BUT CANTU TAKE FOR IT GRANTED, YOU CAN'T JUST THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW UP IN SEPTEMBER AND HAVE A DIVISION LEAD. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND GUYS HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD, THE ORGANIZATION'S WORKED REALLY HARD TO PUT OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION AND WE'VE GOTTA ENJOY THESE MOMENTS. >> Meredith: I SAW YOU GUYS WEARING YELLOW RIBBONS TO RAISE TBIERNS PEDIATRIC CANCER WAS DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? >> IT MAKES IT MORE SPECIAL TO COME BACK. GOING THROUGH IT MYSELF, AND HAVING A FOUNDATION THAT GIVES BACK TO PEDIATRIC CANCER. SO ANY CANCER AWARENESS IS GOOD, AND UNFORTUNATELY TOO MANY PEOPLE GO THROUGH IT. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY COOL THAT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL RECOGNIZES IT. >> Meredith: AND ANTHONY RIZZO WILL PLAY FIRST BASE TODAY, HE WILL BAT SEVENTH. ALSO NOTEWORTHY, AUSTIN WELLS REMAINS IN THE LINEUP. HE WILL CATCH NESTOR CORTES TODAY. GIANCARLO STANTON IS BACK IN THERE AT D.H., AS WELL, SO AARON JUDGE