The New York Yankees appear to have dodged a bullet on Sunday following an injury scare to first baseman Ben Rice.
Rice, who has been one of the best hitters in the majors this season, left Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles after three innings at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. The 27-year-old hurt his hand while trying to field a pickoff attempt. You can watch the play below.
Ben Rice leaves the game… Goldschmidt replaces Rice at 1st. #RepBX #Yankees #NYYvsBAL pic.twitter.com/WFtQNm7mMo
— YankeesDugout99 ⚾ (@YDugout99) May 3, 2026
The Yankees pulled Rice before the 4th inning due to what the team called a left hand contusion. The positive news for fans of the Bronx Bombers is that the X-rays taken of Rice’s hand were negative, and he’s considered day-to-day.
Ben Rice exited today's game with a left hand contusion that he sustained on the pickoff attempt while playing first base in the third inning. X-rays taken were negative. He's day-to-day.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 3, 2026
“I caught it poorly, and it kind of hit me in the palm,” Rice told reporters after the game.
Rice added that he experienced discomfort on his practice swings after the incident. He took his next at-bat in the bottom of the 3rd and shared that he was exclusively relying on his right hand for the swing. His one-handed plate appearance still resulted in extra bases.
Everything Ben Rice puts in play is going for extra bases right now pic.twitter.com/dE5FhtNzXg
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 3, 2026
Rice got driven in via a home run from Aaron Judge two pitches later. Paul Goldschmidt replaced Rice for the rest of the game, as the Yankees won 11-3.
The injury update was a huge win for the Yankees, who have benefited from a blazing start from Rice at the plate.
Through 33 games, Rice paces the American League with a .343 batting average, while his 1.214 OPS leads the majors. The Yankees will want Rice’s bat back in the lineup ASAP.
