Yankees Survive an Injury Scare with Rising Star Slugger

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 7:19 PM ET

The New York Yankees survived a scare Saturday. No, not the hapless Tampa Bay Rays, but another injury.

Rising star Ben Rice exited after being hit on the left elbow by an 88 mph slider from Rays reliever Manny Rodríguez in the fourth inning. Rice immediately dropped his bat and was attended to by the team's medical staff before leaving the game.

The Yankees later announced that Rice was sent to the hospital for X-rays and a CT scan. Luckily, they announced the imaging results came back negative, revealing no fractures. He was diagnosed with an elbow contusion.

Prior to the game, the 26-year-old Rice was off to a strong start in the 2025 season, batting .292 with five home runs, nine RBIs, and two stolen bases over 64 at-bats, contributing to a .403 on-base percentage and a 1.003 OPS.

Drafted by the Yankees in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Dartmouth College, Rice made his MLB debut on June 18, 2024, and quickly made an impact. Notably, on July 6, 2024, he became the first rookie in Yankees history to hit three home runs in a single game, tying Lou Gehrig's record for RBIs by a Yankees rookie in a game with seven.

Although he struggled for the remainder of the 2024 season, finishing with a .171 batting average, Rice entered 2025 determined to make it his breakout year. He arrived at spring training having added muscle, and his increased power was evident early in the season.

With the negative imaging results, Rice is considered day-to-day, and the Yankees are hopeful he will return to the lineup soon.

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

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