Yankees face lineup dilemma with Stanton’s return and Rice’s breakout
The Yankees are off to a strong 18-12 start without Giancarlo Stanton, but his eventual return creates an intriguing roster puzzle.
Ben Rice has been thriving as New York’s designated hitter while Paul Goldschmidt has locked down first base with exceptional play. When Stanton returns, someone’s role will need to change.
MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa believes there’s an obvious solution. He suggested the Yankees should try Rice in the outfield since Stanton will reclaim DH duties.
“Goldschmidt’s not coming out and Ben Rice is not coming out (of the lineup),” DeRosa said on MLB Network.
It’s hard to argue with that assessment. Goldschmidt has been stellar, hitting .363/.411/.460 this season. While he’s only connected for one homer, he’s driven in 12 runs across 30 games. Rice has been even more explosive, posting a .998 OPS with eight home runs in just 26 games – already surpassing his seven homers in 50 games last season.
The challenge? Rice has never played outfield at any level. Throughout his college, minor league and MLB career, he’s only appeared at catcher and first base. But his bat has become too valuable to remove from the lineup.
Stanton’s defensive limitations make him a liability in the outfield, essentially locking him into the DH role. His power remains elite – he crushed 27 homers last regular season and added seven more in just 14 postseason games. That’s production you simply can’t bench.
There’s no clear timeline for Stanton’s return from his elbow issues, giving the Yankees some breathing room to figure this out. It’s the definition of a good problem – Rice’s emergence has given New York unexpected offensive production and lineup flexibility.
The way things are going in the Bronx, finding at-bats for too many productive hitters beats the alternative. Now the question becomes whether Rice can handle learning a new position on the fly for a team with championship aspirations.
