A New York Yankees insider recently explained how the team will look to keep red-hot youngster Ben Rice in the lineup when Giancarlo Stanton eventually makes his return to the roster.
The Yankees lineup was always expected to be pretty good. And surely, their torpedo bats have been a help. To the surprise of no one, Aaron Judge continues to show why he is, arguably, the best hitter in the sport. The reigning AL MVP already has six home runs, 20 runs batted-in, and a whopping 1.238 on-base plus slugging percentage.
However, he has not been doing it all along, and there has been one notable surprise this season. The impressive play of second-year man Ben Rice. The front office has always been high on the former 12th-round pick. But they did not expect him to be this good in his second season.
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Heading into their game on Friday against the San Francisco Giants, Rice is first in walks (7). Third in hits (11) and total bases (24). And has an impressive 1.085 OPS after 12 games. Yet, there is an issue looming over the current starting designated hitter: Giancarlo Stanton.
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The five-time All-Star and incumbent DH will eventually return to the roster from his elbow issues. Former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt is also off to a positive start, so he certainly won’t lose his starting spot to the youngster. But Rice has earned and deserves consistent playing time. Well, on Thursday, The Athletic Yankees insider Brendan Kuty detailed how the team will keep Rice in the lineup when Stanton returns.
“What happens when Giancarlo Stanto returns? The simple answer: The Yankees would continue to cycle Rice through DH at-bats, especially against righties, as Stanton reacclimates to regular playing time,” Kuty wrote. “They could also give first baseman Paul Goldschmidt rest days in the middle of the summer against righties.
“This season, Rice has played just two games (one start) at first base. The Yankees also could demote J.C. Escarra and use Rice as the primary backup catcher, though the organization hasn’t shown it thinks Rice is the best No. 2 option there.”
Stanton is still likely a few weeks away from being MLB-ready. So it’s a situation manager Aaron Boone doesn’t have to worry about any time soon.
