Ben Rice
MLB Player Data
DateNewsComment
Jun 23 2025Rice is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice came up big while making a pair of starts against Baltimore over the weekend, going 5-for-9 with three extra-base hits in the Yankees' series victory. Though he'll be back on the bench Monday as the Reds send southpaw Nick Lodolo to the mound, the left-handed-hitting Rice has made it increasingly difficult for manager Aaron Boone to take him out of the lineup when the Yankees face righties. In his 192 plate appearances versus righties this season, Rice has produced a robust .266/.354/.509 slash line (143 wRC+).
Jun 22 2025Rice went 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple and two total RBI in a 9-0 win against the Orioles on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice was the only Yankee with multiple-extra base hits Saturday, as he swatted a solo homer in the second inning and added a run-scoring triple in the fifth. The long ball was his first in 14 games and just his second in June. Rice is batting .173 through 52 at-bats this month, but he's at least managed to keep strikeouts down with a 17.9 percent K rate during that span.
Jun 19 2025Rice is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though he'll take a seat with southpaw Tyler Anderson on the bump for the Angels, the left-handed-hitting Rice should still remain at least a semi-regular presence in the lineup against right-handed pitchers, even with the recent return of Giancarlo Stanton from the 60-day injured list closing off a potential path to playing time. Rice had been serving exclusively as a designated hitter or first baseman before making his first MLB start as a catcher in Wednesday's 3-2 loss. He went 0-for-1 with a walk Wednesday before being removed from the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Jun 18 2025Rice will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game versus the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice saw most of his playing time at catcher in the minors, but he'll be making his first-ever start and seventh career appearance behind the dish at the major-league level. While Rice's starts at catcher moving forward are expected to be few and far between, it offers an additional path to playing time and also gives him a chance to gain eligibility at the position for fantasy purposes.
Jun 17 2025Rice is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Yankees manager Aaron Boone has some lineup juggling to do now that Giancarlo Stanton is back in the fold, and it will be Rice's turn to sit out Tuesday. Rice had started each of the previous six games.
Jun 12 2025Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated Wednesday that Rice could see starts at catcher after Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) returns from the 60-day injured list, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice caught two innings in Tuesday's win over the Royals, with Boone calling Rice's performance behind the plate "noticeably excellent." It's the fifth time this season that Rice has seen action at catcher this season, and while he has yet to make a start at catcher at the big-league level, it was his primary position in the minors. Rice is not going to overtake Austin Wells as the primary backstop for the Yankees, but mixing him in at the position will allow Boone to fit Stanton and others in the lineup. It would also greatly boost Rice's fantasy appeal if he's able to gain catcher eligibility.
Jun 1 2025Rice went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice put the Yankees ahead 3-1 in the third inning with his blast. He's hit safely in five of his last six games, going 6-for-21 (.286) with two homers and a 3:5 BB:K in that span. The 26-year-old is batting .250 with an .875 OPS, 12 long balls, 25 RBI, 31 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple and two stolen bases across 197 plate appearances this season.
May 31 2025Rice is not in the Yankees' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Aaron Judge will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter while Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger start in the outfield. Rice has slashed .230/.293/.446 with three home runs and 10 RBI across 82 plate appearances since the beginning of May.
May 28 2025Rice went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 3-2 win against the Angels on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There wasn't much offense in the game, so Rice's 423-foot solo blast in the fourth inning was quite important in what turned out to be a one-run New York victory. The long ball was the 11th of the season for Rice, but just his third so far in May after he went deep seven times in April. Rice is still getting consistent starts -- he's been in the lineup for four of the Yankees' past five games -- but could begin to see a drop in playing time when Giancarlo Stanton (elbows), who is tracking toward an early-to-mid-June return, is activated off the injured list.
May 22 2025Rice is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although he had started the previous two games, Rice has seen his playing time dip recently, as this is his fifth time absent from the lineup across the last 11 tilts. Aaron Judge is in the designated-hitter spot Thursday, and the Yankees will roll out Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger in the outfield.
May 20 2025Rice went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a sacrifice fly in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice entered Tuesday's game with a .173 batting average across 37 plate appearances against left-handers, but he put the Yankees on the board in the second inning by taking southpaw Patrick Corbin deep to right field for a solo homer. Rice extended the Yankees' lead to two runs on a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame, which gave him his sixth multi-RBI game of the season. Rice has a .902 OPS across 165 plate appearances this season, which is fifth best in the American League.
May 16 2025Rice is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice is hitting just .225 in May but still has a .761 OPS this month thanks to six doubles and a homer, and he finds himself on the bench Friday for the second time in the Yankees' past three games. Jasson Dominguez will receive a turn at designated hitter while Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge start from left to right in the outfield.
May 13 2025Rice isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice will get a chance to catch his breath Tuesday after going 1-for-6 with an RBI and two strikeouts during Monday's victory. Jasson Dominguez will fill in as New York's DH and bat seventh.
May 12 2025Rice went 2-for-3 with a grand slam, a walk and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Athletics. He also reached twice via hit-by-pitch. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice demolished a fifth-inning grand slam to put the Yankees ahead 10-1. Dating back to April 29, eight of his 10 hits have gone for extra-bases, and he now sits eighth in baseball with a .937 OPS. The power Rice has shown so far this season has been remarkable. He hit seven home runs in 178 plate appearances as a rookie last year and is already up to nine in 144 plate appearances in 2025.
May 6 2025Rice went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in Tuesday's win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rice knocked a double in the first frame and later hit a two-run double during the Yankees' 10-run seventh inning. He entered Tuesday's contest in a bit of a cold spell; he'd gone 8-for-46 (.174) with just one multi-hit game over his previous 14 contests, though he hit three homers during that span. Rice bumped his OPS up to .935 with 17 extra-base hits and 15 RBI through 127 plate appearances.
May 4 2025Rice is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting each of the last four games while going 4-for-17 with two solo home runs, a double and two additional runs, Rice looks to be getting a routine breather for the series finale versus Tampa Bay. Rice's absence from the lineup will open up a spot in the starting nine for Trent Grisham, who will cover center field while Cody Bellinger slides over to right field and Aaron Judge serves as the Yankees' designated hitter.
May 1 2025Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that he plans to use Rice at first base "a little bit here" and is "going to try" to work him in at catcher during blowout games, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Boone has begun to think about how he will deploy Rice -- who has a .958 OPS with eight home runs -- when the Yankees get Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) back from the injured list. Rice saw one inning at catcher in the April 27 win against the Blue Jays and Boone wanted to play him behind the plate Tuesday in Baltimore but decided against it after Rice was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old Rice is a natural catcher and works out there and at first base every day. Rice could see enough game action at catcher to earn eligibility there in fantasy leagues, although it probably won't happen anytime soon. Stanton is progressing in his rehab but is not close to returning, so Boone has time to mull how to use Rice once the team is at full strength. The manager did say he is not considering using Rice at any unfamiliar positions, so when Rice plays in the field it will be at first base or catcher.