For the first time in about three months, there has been a change in the top of the Yankees’ batting lineup.
One young player was replaced, with Ben Rice batting first instead of Anthony Volpe in the series finale against the Reds in the Bronx.
Volpe last appeared in the lineup on April 9th and was not the leadoff hitter, but he was in good form and rose to the top of the lineup.
But the second-year shortstop has stumbled behind Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.
He’s hitting just .242/.293/.358 as a leadoff hitter and continues to struggle more to get on base than arguably the two best hitters in baseball.
Volpe was moved up to bat sixth in the order against Reds right-hander Frankie Montas.
Rice, a 25-year-old rookie, has performed well in his first few weeks in the major leagues, entering the game with a .378 on-base percentage.
