Anthony Rizzo and the Yankees had an off day in Chicago ahead of his first trip back to Wrigley Field.

Beyond any restaurants or old neighborhood favorites, there was one place he had made a point to visit in his spare time — Lurie Children’s Hospital.

“Lurie’s has a special place in [wife] Emily and I’s heart, and we visit there a lot,” Rizzo said ahead of his first game back at Wrigley Field since being traded in 2021. “And just to be able to go back relax, it was a very low-key day for us yesterday. Just walked around with [their dog] Kevin a lot, went to the hospital, ate a bunch of Chicago Cut just Emily and I, and just kind of relaxed and enjoyed the day.”

Rizzo and his wife, Emily, had made it a point throughout his tenure in Chicago and beyond to give back to children battling cancers and their families. He battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma as a 17-year-old after being drafted by the Red Sox, so it is extremely personal to him.

“I think when you think of all the things he did for kids in the city, from Day 1 — I mean, he hadn’t even established himself and he was already doing stuff with the Children’s Hospital and his foundation and things like that,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “I just think if you embrace the city, they’ll embrace you back. And he always played the right way. He always played hard; he was always about winning. I think that fans react to that with both [Rizzo and Javy Báez, who returned to Wrigley Field last month].”

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Friday, ahead of his much-anticipated return, Rizzo had brought children from Lurie’s to catch the game, too. They were wearing yellow “Anthony Rizzo Foundation” shirts and were able to watch an inspiration up close and personal.

“I think that’s what as an athlete and baseball player with a platform that you could really help out, and I know a lot of different athletes take different initiatives,” Rizzo said. “To me, giving back to pediatric cancer means the most, and to put smiles on people’s faces that are going through hard times means more than anything I can do on a baseball field.

“To help families means more than anything I can do on a baseball field, and to continue to do that in New York, Chicago, all around the country now really means the most. I love baseball. It’s what I’ve dreamed of doing my whole life. With that being said, though, to be able to help out families, it’s just it’s a feeling that you just can’t get on the baseball field.”