Is Ben Rice back in Yankees lineup vs Orioles after suffering thumb contusion on Sunday?

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice was forced to leave Sunday’s matchup against the Baltimore Orioles with a hand contusion. Now, the Yankees are trying to complete a sweep of their AL East foes on Monday.

However, Rice is not in the lineup, via the team’s X, formerly Twitter account. The slugger admitted he is still feeling sore on Monday and is focused on treatment, via Meredith Marakovits of YES.

“Ben Rice said his hand is still sore,” Marakovits wrote. “Doesn’t feel like he can get his A swing off yet. Doesn’t expect to do much today other than treatment. Paul Goldschmidt in at 1B”

There hasn’t been any talk of Rice dealing with a long-term injury. Still, the Yankees will be cautious early in the season. After a day off on Monday, New York will re-assess the first baseman and his hand before making any other decisions.

If Rice were forced to miss time beyond Monday, it would be a brutal blow for the Yankees. Over his first 33 games in 2026, the first baseman is hitting an American League leading .343 with 12 home runs, 27 RBIs and two stolen bases. His 30 runs scored also lead the AL. While all eyes will be on Aaron Judge in the Yankees’ lineup, Rice has been putting on a show of his own in 2026.

That performance will have to take what New York is hoping is a brief pause on Monday. Both Rice and team will hope his soreness decreases after a day off. Still, the first baseman will need to get over his injury before returning to the diamond.

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