Scouting Report: Ben Rice

Summary

Ben Rice, 27-year-old Yankees first baseman, suffered a left-hand contusion on May 3rd when he misjudged a pickoff throw from Max Fried. X-rays came back negative. He missed 4 consecutive games (May 5-8) but returned to play against the Brewers on May 9th. Despite the injury, Rice has been one of baseball's most productive hitters in 2026, leading the AL with a .343 batting average and posting a 1.214 OPS (best in MLB). He has 12 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 30 runs scored in 33 games. Recently went 0-for-13 with 5 strikeouts during the Brewers series, but this appears to be a brief slump following his return from injury rather than a long-term concern. Manager Aaron Boone indicated the hand injury is day-to-day and the team hopes to avoid an IL stint, though Rice has been limited in baseball activities to avoid aggravating the contusion.