Yankees’ Aaron Boone Announces Ben Rice News After 4th Straight Absence From Lineup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Xavier Constantino | Last updated May 7, 2026 1:35 PM ET

The New York Yankees are preparing to continue their series against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, doing so again without one of the best hitters in baseball.

First baseman Ben Rice is out of the Yankees' starting lineup for the fourth consecutive game after suffering a left hand contusion. He has been one of baseball’s breakout stars this season, putting up a .343 batting average and leading all of MLB with a .455 on-base percentage, a .759 slugging percentage and a 1.214 OPS.

Rice suffered the injury on May 3 when he fielded a low pickoff throw from starter Max Fried in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles. X-rays came back negative and the team listed him as day-to-day, but he has not appeared in the starting lineup since. According to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Rice "hasn't done a lot yet" behind the scenes, with the team cautious about aggravating the contusion.

Ben Rice "hasn't done a lot yet" behind the scenes, Aaron Boone said, as he hasn't wanted to aggravate the left hand contusion. Boone said he still doesn't see this as an IL situation.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) May 7, 2026

Yankees manager Aaron Boone shared the update ahead of Thursday’s game against the Rangers, saying that the team doesn’t want to aggravate the injury by getting Rice back into game action too soon. Even with the 27-year-old Rice staying out of the lineup in the last few games, Boone does not see Rice heading to the injured list.

Fortunately for New York, the 2022 National League MVP and 16-year veteran Paul Goldschmidt has taken over for Rice at first base and has delivered. Since taking over duties at first, Goldschmidt is slashing .364/.364/.636 with one home run. Still, the Yankees would prefer to have one of the league-leading bats back in the lineup.

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22)© Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Yankees enter Thursday at 25-12, leading the American League East by half a game over the Tampa Bay Rays. Getting Rice back into the lineup could be the difference between holding that edge and losing it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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