Yankees Tweak Slumping Lineup Without Giancarlo Stanton

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 4:47 PM ET

New York shook things up tonight: Ben Rice is making his first career MLB start at catcher, slotting in behind the plate as the Yankees juggle a lineup full of big bats. Strategically, it also coincides with Giancarlo Stanton’s first day off since returning from the injured list—a rare breather for the slugger.

Rice, 26, wasn’t brought up as a catcher but trained extensively behind the dish in the minors. He’s appeared in seven games defensively but tonight marks his debut as the starting backstop. Boone has praised his defense—calling Rice’s recent two-inning stint “noticeably excellent” . He’ll hit sixth in tonight’s order against the Angels.

Offensively, Rice’s season has had peaks and valleys. He’s slashing .229/.??/.?? with 12 HR and 26 RBI in 214 at-bats. Early in the year, he wowed with a .254/.358/.554 line backed by elite Statcast metrics: 93.5 mph average exit velocity, 55% hard‑hit rate, .336 wOBA, .401 xwOBA, and top-tier barrel‑percentage (15.5%).

But splits show a dip lately: he’s just 4-for-34 (.118 AVG) over his last 10 games with zero extra-base hits—hitting a puny .130/.167 in his last 7 games.

Tonight’s start is a test—not only of his glove but of his resilience at the plate. The Yankees need Rice to be at his peak now as they are mired in a 29-inning scoreless slide and five-game losing streak.

On the Stanton front, Boone gives him a breather—his first day off since he returned Monday. Stanton’s return activated Rice’s role shuffle: Boone hinted earlier that Rice would begin rotating at catcher as Stanton’s absence ends.

Tonight’s move shows a team not overcommitting, leaning on depth and flexibility. Rice must deliver both offense and defense to stick; otherwise, this may remain a one-off. With Stanton resting and Boone experimenting, this could spark a small ripple—or a big breakthrough.

Stay tuned—we're just starting to see how deep this Yankees lineup can flex.

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

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