The New York Yankees have seen Ben Rice break out in the absence of Giancarlo Stanton. However, they will be faced with a tough decision soon when it comes to his playing time.
Rice, 26, had just a .174 batting average, along with seven home runs, in 50 games last season. This year, he already has eight home runs and a .254 average. His OPS is .904 through 33 games. He has primarily been the designated hitter with Stanton out, but according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Stanton could return to the lineup later this month.
“One day after he took live batting practice, a significant step in his return from the injured list, New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton confirmed Wednesday he could return to the team’s lineup by the end of the month,” wrote Castillo. “Stanton participated in batting practice on the field at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, the first time he has seen live pitching this year after he was shut down with elbow tendinitis in both arms at the beginning of spring training.”
Stanton will claim the designated hitter spot back immediately, putting the Yankees in a bind with Rice. His position in the field is at first base. However, Paul Goldschmidt has been playing too good to take out of the lineup. He is slashing .341/.391/.464 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.
The only other position Rice has played in his career is catcher. He made 117 starts there in the minor leagues and has appeared behind the plate twice in the big leagues. It is highly unlikely the Yankees are going to strip Austin Wells of catching duties.
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The Yankees will have to decide what to do with Rice when Stanton returns. He has earned the right to be an everyday player, but at the same time, Stanton brings a different element to the Yankees’ offense. Depending on how desperate the Yankees are to keep Rice in the lineup, they could look into a position change.
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