The New York Yankees continue to deal with injuries to significant players early in the 2026 season. The latest example occurred on May 3 as slugger Ben Rice exited the game against the Baltimore Orioles.
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The breakout player gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first inning, hitting a home run off Orioles pitcher Trey Gibson. However, the first baseman then exited the game after the third inning. He sustained a hand contusion on a low pick-off throw from pitcher Max Fried.
Ben Rice has been removed from the game pic.twitter.com/XyAtQCdsn2
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 3, 2026
While Rice still battled in the bottom of the third (hitting a double then scoring on an Aaron Judge homer), Paul Goldschmidt entered the game to replace Rive at the start the fourth inning. According to the team, the X-rays of Rice's hand were negative. Yet, he remains day-to-day as he deals with this injury.
The slugger out of Dartmouth College landed with the Yankees in the 2021 June Amateur Draft. He made his MLB debut in 2024, and he has remained a member of the lineup ever since.
Rice only played in 50 games in 2024, and he his seven home runs. He then significantly boosted his statistics in 2025 while appearing in 138 games. He hit 26 home runs and accounted for 65 RBIs. He scored 74 runs.
This season, Rice has appeared in 32 games with 106 at-bat appearances. He has scored 30 runs this season, putting him in a tie for the third-most in MLB.
He has hit 12 home runs, also putting him in a tie for third in the league. Teammate Judge leads the league with 13 home runs.
Rice is the latest member of the Yankees to deal with an injury. Giancarlo Stanton entered the season with tennis elbow in both arms. He then exited a recent game against the Astros with right calf tightness. He ultimately landed on the 10-day injured list.
The team also closed out the month of April by putting pitcher Angel Chivilli on the 15-day injured list. The right-handed pitcher dealt with right shoulder discomfort. He will be eligible to return to the lineup after May 8. Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Anthony Volpe and Clarke Schmidt are also current not on the major league roster due to various injuries.
