In the New York Yankees‘ first game without Aaron Judge, Ben Rice was the offensive star. He went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run of the season, but the Yankees fell to the Boston Red Sox 5-3.
Rice spoke to YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits about the three-time American League MVP sidelined with an injury.
“It’s a big presence to not have in our lineup. It’s definitely going to hurt us, but all we can do is keep moving forward, take it day by day, and we’re definitely looking forward to getting him back.”
Rice connected on a Sonny Gray curveball and crushed it out into the right field seats at Yankee Stadium. The blast was his 18th of the year, moving him past Judge for the team lead.
“I just got a pitch over the plate and was able to drive it in the air. I was able to hang in there on that offspeed pitch.”
Ben Rice on Moving Forward Without Aaron Judge
Rice, 27, now becomes the big hitter in the Yankees’ lineup in Judge’s absence. The young first baseman was asked if not having their star slugger in the lineup creates any additional pressure for him.
“No, it’s like I said, just keep focusing on today, staying in the present and we’ll evaluate at the end.”
Ben Rice’s breakout has been one of the early storylines for the 2026 New York Yankees. He has grown into one of the best hitters in baseball and a key part of the club’s success.
His 187 wRC+ is second only to Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros among MLB hitters. He’s on track for his first All-Star Game and will likely start for the AL at first base.
With Judge out of the lineup, it could have a ripple effect on how teams approach Rice. The young first baseman downplayed that possibility and isn’t too focused on how teams will approach him in the lineup.
“That’s not for me to say, we’ll see what happens. All I can do is just control the pitches I swing at, and the ones I don’t swing at.”
Ben Rice Praises Spencer Jones’ After Big Night
With Aaron Judge sidelined for four to six weeks, Spencer Jones will get an opportunity to showcase himself over the next week, while fellow outfielder Jasson Dominguez embarks on a rehab assignment.
His first game was a resounding success, as the rookie outfielder picked up his first extra-base hit and three-hit game. Jones had just four hits on the season coming into the game.
“It’s great,” said Rice. “I especially loved that first at-bat he had. Took some tough pitches, fouled some off, and eventually got one where he was able to put hard in play through the middle. Really excited to have him back with us, I liked what he showed tonight.”
The Yankees will need Jones to produce during this one-week trial run. The first game back should give the rookie outfielder more confidence going into his next game.
“It can help a lot. Just speaking from experience, when you get that first game out of the way, like a multihit game, anything like that, it helps make you feel like you belong. That’s always the feeling you want when you’re up here and you’re trying to establish yourself. He definitely belongs.”
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