With the Yankees’ regular-season finale scheduled for Sunday at 3:05 p.m., Ben Rice was already sweating in the batting cage shortly after noon.
The 25-year-old joined the Yankees for Game 162 after a pitch left fellow first baseman Anthony Rizzo with two fractured fingers during Saturday’s loss to the Pirates. Instead of placing Rizzo on injured reserve, the Yankees chose Scott Effross to make room for Rice.
By keeping Rizzo off the IL, he remains an option for the ALDS. On Saturday, Boone said the Yankees would see how the veteran responds over the next few days because they view his injury as a “pain tolerance issue.”
“I think he feels pretty good considering that,” Boone added Sunday. “So he’s not really [gripping a bat or wearing a glove] right away. It’s just a treatment for the next few days before he starts doing this.
While the Yankees wait to see what Rizzo can do, Sunday wasn’t the first time Rice replaced him this year.
The rookie, a still-new natural catcher at No. 1, made his major league debut in mid-June after Rizzo suffered a fractured arm. Rice then made a strong early impression – he hit three home runs on July 6 – before quickly cooling off.
Rice slashed .174/.269/.356 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs in 49 league games. The Yankees then demoted him when Rizzo returned from his arm injury in early September.
Boone now hopes that fire experience will help Rice if the Yankees need him in the postseason.
“He came in this year and was thrust in there as a rookie not having a lot of playing experience at that point at first base,” Boone said. “He’s obviously gotten a lot of experience at first base this year, and I feel like he’s handled it all really well. I have the impression that he behaved defensively, perhaps even better than expected. It can’t be easy when you’re a young player and all of a sudden you get called up to the major leagues for the first time, and now you’re thrust into an important position that you don’t have much experience at. .
“I feel like he handled that on the fly really well, and I hope that serves him well for a potential role now in the playoffs.”
Boone added that the Yankees front office has been excited about Rice’s performance since his demotion. He hit nine homers in 17 September games at Triple-A, and he totaled 31 dingers across three levels before Sunday’s promotion.
Like Rizzo, Rice hits from the left side.
“He could play a big role for us,” Boone said. “He’s had periods even with us this year where obviously it’s been really good. He’s had some struggles, but overall it’s been an exceptional year for Ben Rice.
Boone also reiterated that he was “very comfortable” with Oswaldo Cabrera playing first despite limited rehearsals.
Asked about additional alternatives at first base, Boone noted that center fielder Trent Grisham is working on it. However, there is no guarantee he will have a spot on the Yankees’ ALDS roster after being on the bench for most of September.
Boone also said he first talked to Jon Berti about getting reps. The utilityman never played there in the majors, but Boone said he participated in spring training a few years ago.
Given his versatility and speed, Berti has a clearer path to the ALDS roster than Grisham.
There’s also DJ LeMahieu, who finished the worst regular season of his career with a hip injury. He is feeling better after a cortisone injection and plans to begin baseball activities before the start of the ALDS next Saturday. LeMahieu wants to build himself into an option, but it’s unclear if the Yankees would accept him following his poor play this season.
“We’ll see,” Boone said when asked if LeMahieu was considered. “I don’t want to rule it out, but I don’t necessarily want to expect it either.”
