Yankees Facing Ben Rice Decision After Unfortunate News 

Given how much the catching core has struggled this year and now without their highest-ceiling player for the foreseeable future, the team has a decision to make on Ben Rice.

Rice has primarily operated as the team's first baseman this year, occasionally receiving days off or sliding to designated hitter to get veteran Paul Goldschmidt into the lineup. However, Rice also has the ability to play catcher, something he has not done this year.

Before Wells' injury, manager Aaron Boone revealed that the team has not ruled out putting Rice behind the plate, but because they value how impactful his bat has been, they do not want to add more to his workload.

"It doesn't mean we won't do it. It doesn't mean we won't get to that point, but it's not on the board right now," Boone said (h/t Gary Phillies of the NY Daily News).

He is not wrong. Rice has been one of the best players in MLB this year, fully breaking out i his third season. The 27-year-old has posted a .305 batting average, .398 on-base percentage, 1.051 OPS, 18 home runs and 45 RBIs across 58 games.

However, moving him behind the plate would be huge for New York's offense at a time when they desperately need it, as their captain Aaron Judge is sidelined with a stress fracture in his right rib.

If Rice handles some catching duties, it would allow Goldschmidt to play first base. That would be a significant upgrade over Rice playing first and having the struggling Escarra behind the plate, or having Ali Sanchez, just signed to the active roster Saturday morning, back there instead.

With Goldschmidt's bat sitting on the bench and the roster short-handed, getting Rice behind the plate could be the move that unlocks New York's best lineup.