New York Yankees Remove Hits Leader Ben Rice From Starting Lineup Before Loss

However, there has been one particularly bright spot for the Yankees’ offense as homegrown infielder Ben Rice is slashing .362/.508/.745 with an MLB-leading 1.253 OPS.

That’s why it turned some heads when the Yankees announced that Rice was removed from the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Angels.

Defending the decision, manager Aaron Boone indicated that he was looking for an opportunity to get 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt at-bats instead and that he would look to get Rice into the game off of the bench.

“Boone said that he initially planned on starting Rice on Tuesday, but he likes the way he’s been able to use the left-handed swinger aggressively off the bench so far this season,” Gary Phillips wrote for the New York Daily News. “It’s because Rice’s hard-hitting bat is so valuable that fans take issue whenever he’s out of the lineup. But with Boone showing an eagerness to use his bench early and often in the early going this season, Rice has played in games he hasn’t started.”

New York Yankees’ Ben Rice Responds To Pinch-Hitting Role

With the Yankees’ offense struggling and Rice leading the team in several offensive categories, it seems like Boone could be forced to find an everyday spot for the young slugger in the near future. The Yankees lost Tuesday’s game 7-1, with Goldschmidt going hitless and Rice recording the sole RBI in a pinch-hitting appearance.

But Rice has been aware that he could be moved into a pinch-hitting role at any point this season. He explained why he feels confident about his chances to have a positive impact, even when the Yankees move him out of the starting lineup.

“When they’re putting you in to pinch-hit, they’re putting you into a matchup that they believe you can have success in,” Rice said, according to Phillips. “That gives you confidence to go out there and try to perform.”