The New York Yankees have dealt with a lot of injuries this season, making others have to come in and step up in the face of adversity.
Yankees’ Ben Rice continues to have an amazing start
Perhaps nobody has stepped up more than first baseman/designated hitter Ben Rice. Rice was given a spot on the Opening Day roster thanks to the injury to Giancarlo Stanton, who has been on the injured list to begin the season, and he has stepped up in a big way.
Rice is batting .286 on the season with six home runs, 11 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.005. He has shown tremendous discipline at the plate along with a ton of power, and could be well on his way to having a big season in his first full year in the majors.
On Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians, Rice returned to the lineup after a brief three-game absence following a hit by pitch to the elbow against the Tampa Bay Rays. He wasted no time making his presence felt, as he blasted a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game.
Rice is quickly becoming an important part of the Yankees’ lineup
Rice seems to like hitting in the leadoff spot, as he now has 10 home runs in 22 career games in the leadoff spot (h/t Underdog MLB). The production he has provided so far this season is everything the Yankees could’ve hoped for out of him, and he could be on his way to an All-Star level season.
His season leaves the Yankees with an interesting decision to make when Stanton can return. Paul Goldschmidt has also been swinging a great bat this season, so they can’t take him out of the lineup either. Austin Wells has been the team’s main catcher, so Rice wouldn’t be able to take over that spot every day.
Nevertheless, the Yankees have a good problem on their hands and are hoping that Rice continues to produce at a high level. He will look to continue his hot start on Friday when he and the Yankees begin a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays.