Until Ben Rice actually dons the catcher’s gear this season, it’s hard to say if the Yankees will utilize him in that role to enhance their batting order.
Another week has gone by, and he still hasn’t stepped up to bat, yet the Yankees haven’t completely ruled out the option.
“Not yet,” said manager Aaron Boone recently. “We’re discussing it a lot. It’s not part of our immediate plans, but you never know.”
There are various factors involved here, but one major consideration seems to be the Yankees’ desire to preserve Rice’s impressive form—he was sitting at an impressive .998 OPS and leading the team with 19 homers as of Monday.
The left-handed hitter achieved this by starting 37 games at first base and 24 games at designated hitter.
“He’s a crucial part of our lineup,” Boone added. “Moving him to a tougher position might… well, it complicates things.”
What’s somewhat unstated is that the Yankees can’t afford to lose Rice, not with Aaron Judge also sidelined for much of the summer.
Because hitting takes time to adjust to, in contrast to merely pitching, there’s the risk that Rice could face injuries or diminished offensive output.
During spring training, Rice definitely dealt with some wear, moving between first base and catcher but didn’t play in exhibition matches since the team wanted to avoid overloading him.
He continued to catch in the bullpen and work defensively behind the plate during the regular season until he sat out for several games due to a hand contusion in early May.
Since that incident, his catching role has been paused, though Boone stated that Rice’s hand condition is no longer a concern.
“I love catchers,” Rice remarked, sharing his background in the position. “Right now, it doesn’t really matter. I appreciate this role, which is why I enjoy still engaging with it.”
With Giancarlo Stanton now sidelined with a calf injury, there’s likely more opportunity for both Rice and an energized Paul Goldschmidt to feature regularly in the lineup.
Although Boone noted that snagging Rice for catching would be “absolutely” enticing—especially with the current catcher struggling at a .526 OPS—it’s looking more like they’ll try to work with their existing roster before considering trades.
The first results for the All-Star fan voting came out Monday, highlighting Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger leading in the outfield, while Rice is trailing behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for first base.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. ranked fifth among American League second basemen.
Fan voting continues through June 25th, after which the top two vote-getters at each position, along with the top six outfielders, will proceed to the next voting phase.
