The New York Yankees took down the Texas Rangers 7-4 on Tuesday night, but all eyes were on the lineup card before first pitch. Manager Aaron Boone kept rookie first baseman Ben Rice on the bench for the second straight game, as the young slugger continues to nurse a bruised left hand.
Rice suffered the injury during Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles when he caught a pickoff throw from pitcher Max Fried in the third inning. The discomfort didn't set in immediately, but Rice soon realized he couldn't get his best swing off and exited the game. He's been listed as day-to-day ever since, missing Monday's contest as well.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Rice said he's feeling better after treatment but admitted he hadn't taken any swings yet. He planned to test the hand later in the day. Boone left the door open for a possible pinch-hit appearance, noting that if Rice can start light hitting and ramp up his activity, they'd have a conversation about his availability.
The Yankees are eager to get their rookie back in action—and for good reason. Before Tuesday's game, Rice was leading the American League with a .343 batting average and topping all of Major League Baseball with a staggering 1.214 OPS. Boone recently described him as a "wrecking ball" at the plate.
Fortunately for New York, the offense didn't miss a beat without their hot-hitting first baseman. Ryan McMahon tied the game at 3-3 with a two-run homer off Rangers ace Jacob deGrom in the second inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with a go-ahead solo shot in the sixth, and veteran Paul Goldschmidt—filling in at first base for Rice—added an exclamation point with a solo blast in the eighth.
Cody Bellinger also came up big, delivering an RBI double in the first inning and a two-run double in the seventh. That second double came after the Rangers intentionally walked Aaron Judge to load the bases—a decision that backfired in a big way.
On the mound, closer David Bednar navigated a tense one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning before allowing a meaningless run in the ninth to seal the victory.
With Carlos Rodón making his third rehab start at Triple-A, the Yankees are hoping to get both their ace and their rookie slugger back in the lineup soon. For now, the Bombers are proving they can win in more ways than one.