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Giancarlo Stanton after striking out against the Dodgers.
The New York Yankees are facing a tough situation, but it might not be the worst one. If anything, many teams around Major League Baseball would love to have this issue.
That problem is none other than the Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton issue.
Stanton, one of the top players in baseball a few years ago when he was healthy, has been derailed by injuries for much of his Yankees career.
It’s an unfortunate situation for the slugger, but Stanton has shown up in the postseason, something that has to be factored in here.
During the 2024 playoffs, he won the American League Championship Series MVP, and hit seven home runs, driving in 16 and posting a 1.048 OPS.
According to recent comments from Brian Cashman, the Yankees plan to have him face live hitters in Tampa this week, a very promising sign for his recovery.
“The Yankees slugger will head to Tampa this week to take live batting practice ‘for the next two weeks,’ general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday on MLB Network Radio, with a rehab assignment potentially following,” wrote Greg Joyce of the NY Post .
The Designated Hitter Dilemma
The New York Yankees will have to hope that they’ll make the right decision with Rice and Stanton.
Rice has been very good throughout the early stages of the campaign, posting a .245 batting average and blasting 10 home runs.
With him only being 26 years old and swinging the bat the way he has, it’d be tough to justify moving on from him at this stage.
If anything, perhaps the Yankees could get a bit creative and move him to a different position. Stanton, more than likely, will be a full-time designated hitter.
Putting him out in the outfield would be a disservice to all involved for more reasons than just his injuries.
What Will the Yankees Do?
When answering the question about what the New York Yankees might do with Rice and Stanton, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic admitted that it’s a tough one.
However, he added that when he returns, the Yankees will continue to give Rice a chance for DH at-bats against right-handers and could potentially give Paul Goldschmidt a few days off in the middle of the summer against right-handers to allow Rice to hit.
“But a question looms: What happens when Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows) returns? The simple answer: The Yankees would continue to cycle Rice through DH at-bats, especially against righties, as Stanton reacclimates to regular playing time.
“They could also give first baseman Paul Goldschmidt rest days in the middle of the summer against righties. This season, Rice has played just two games (one start) at first base. The Yankees also could demote J.C. Escarra and use Rice as the primary backup catcher, though the organization hasn’t shown it thinks Rice is the best No. 2 option there,” he wrote .
There isn’t a right or wrong answer right now, given the situation hasn’t played out, but hopefully, the Yankees get the production they need from everybody involved.
Having too many hitters is a good thing, but ultimately, Aaron Boone and the rest of the coaching staff have to decide which ones will be their best nine every day.
Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan
