The New York Yankees enjoyed a heartening return to their spring training grounds over the weekend, dominating the struggling Tampa Bay Rays. However, the victory may have come at a steep price.
Promising young talent Ben Rice was forced to leave Saturday’s game after taking an 88 mph slider to the left elbow during the fourth inning, thrown by Rays reliever Manny Rodríguez.
Rice dropped his bat instantly and was looked at by the medical team before exiting. By the seventh inning, the Yankees confirmed he was sent to the hospital for X-rays and a CT scan.
Rice, 26, had been off to an impressive start to the 2025 season, hitting .292 with five homers, nine RBIs, and two stolen bases in 65 at-bats, good for a .403 on-base percentage and a 1.003 OPS. A 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth in the 2021 MLB Draft, he made his major league debut on June 18, 2024, and wasted little time making headlines.
On July 6, 2024, he became the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a game, matching Lou Gehrig’s team rookie record with seven RBIs. Although he hit a slump afterward, finishing 2024 with a .171 average, Rice came into 2025 determined to prove himself. He arrived at camp bulked up, and his added strength was already paying off early in the season.
