NEW YORK — Ben Rice entered Tuesday night leading Major League Baseball with a 1.253 OPS. He was batting .362 with four home runs and 12 RBI through 15 games. He was also, for the third time in five games, watching from the Yankees bench.
Manager Aaron Boone started Paul Goldschmidt at first base over Rice for the fourth time this season against a left-handed starter. Angels lefty Reid Detmers drew the assignment Tuesday night.
The numbers did not support a clear platoon advantage. Left-handed hitters posted a .764 OPS against Detmers in his career. Right-handed hitters posted a .740 OPS. The gap was negligible. Rice, a left-hander himself, was not at a statistical disadvantage against Tuesday’s starter.
Boone acknowledged before the game that he had originally planned to start Rice. He changed his approach because of how effectively the rising slugger had come off the bench in the two prior games against lefty starters. In those appearances, Rice collected a pinch-hit home run, a walk and a single in four plate appearances. Boone told reporters before the loss that he viewed the bench role as a major contribution, not a demotion.
“I’ve just been able to so aggressively use Benny off the bench,” Boone said. “Even though he’s not in the starting lineup, I view him playing a major role. I’ve been able to kind of fire him at the most important part, and it might be early in the game.”
Theory collapses as Yankees trail 7-0 before Rice gets his at-bat
The strategy required a close, contested game to work. It did not get one. The Angels scored three runs in the first inning and kept building from there. The Yankees lost 7-1 to the Los Angeles Angels.
Ben Rice appeared in the eighth inning, trailing by seven runs, and knocked in a sacrifice fly. By the time Boone sent Rice up as a pinch hitter, the Yankees trailed 7-0 and the result was long since decided. The sacrifice fly made it 7-1 and ended the night.
It was a meaningless at-bat in a game already lost. Reports from inside the dugout said Rice vented to Aaron Judge afterward, his frustration plainly visible. Yankees fans on social media noticed.
Rice’s displeasure after the at-bat drew attention across Yankees circles. He was seen venting to Judge near the dugout rail. For a player who said this offseason that the Yankees had committed to giving him more starts against left-handed pitching in 2026, the reality through the first 15 games has not matched the promise. He has started against one left-handed pitcher all season, going 1-for-3 against the Athletics’ Jeffrey Springs.
Rice has been candid about what development against southpaws actually requires.
“The best way for me to get better at handling left-handed pitching is by actually facing it in games,” Rice said.
Catching option exists but Boone not yet ready to use it
One solution would put both Rice and Goldschmidt in the Yankees lineup at the same time. the first baseman came up as a catcher and spent part of last season learning the position at the major league level, eventually starting 26 games behind the plate. With Austin Wells, also a left-handed hitter, as the regular Yankees catcher, resting Wells and starting Rice there would free up first base for Goldschmidt.
Boone said that path is not yet available. The Yankees shifted Rice’s spring training focus to first base defense, and he logged only one inning of game action at catcher during camp. He has continued throwing bullpen sessions and catching live batting practice, including three innings with Carlos Rodon earlier this week. But a full game behind the plate is not on the table.
“I’m not ready to catch Benny yet,” Boone said. “We want to be smart with how we do it, just because of how valuable he is and what we see him becoming as an offensive player.”
Rice’s answer was brief and cooperative.
“When they tell me to put on the gear, I’ll put on the gear,” Rice said.
The Yankees have now lost six of their last seven games. Boone insists Rice will start against left-handed pitchers. The Yankees fanbase is waiting for that promise to match the lineup card. Tuesday made the wait harder to accept. The Yankees entered the season promising a different approach with Rice against southpaws. Through 15 games and four left-handed starters, he has made one start against a lefty. That gap between the promise and the reality is what has Yankees fans asking questions Boone has not yet answered with results.
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