Concerning Ben Rice misplay vs Red Sox spurs 'chicken or the egg' Yankees question

On Sunday night, the Yankees somehow went from going down in an embarrassingly quiet manner to completely melting down. And a moment in the bottom of the 10th was perhaps overlooked as the big culprit that resulted in the Red Sox walking off the Yanks for their fourth straight victory.

Have you been wondering about Ben Rice's usage at first base? He's played 46 games at the position and has been the DH in his other 31 games played. Paul Goldschmidt has gotten a ton of run, and we initially believed it was due to Rice suffering a hand contusion back in May.

But it turns out ... that's not really the case? We are days away from the calendar turning to July and Rice has played less than half of the team's June games at first base. Why is that? And is it going to affect the big picture of the Yankees' 2026 season?

The moment in question on Sunday night involved Rice, who let Anthony Seigler's ground ball through the hole for an RBI single to lead off the 10th inning. When you look at the overhead shot of the play, there's no reason that should have happened.

And this is nothing new. Rice has routinely been out of position fielding (or not fielding) grounders, which have led to extended innings and miscommunications. Is it because the Yankees aren't playing him enough out there, leading to these lapses due to unfamiliarity? Or is that behavior a reason for his play on defense being scaled back?

Ben Rice positioning partially at fault for Red Sox rally starter vs. Yankees

Goldschmidt, who was supposed to be a backup first base option/DH, has now logged 41 games at first base and 11 at DH. The plan has changed after injuries rocked the roster ... but should he be more heavily used as DH given his age and durability concerns? Not to mention, Rice needs to learn how to play first base. He's ostensibly the player of the future at that position.

So here we are, dealing with another Yankees conundrum. Rice is routinely going 2-3 days without playing defense, which doesn't feel like a long-term recipe for success. It's yet another concern fans had with Aaron Boone, who, to no surprise, began prioritizing Goldschmidt the second the veteran got hot.

To make matters worse, Rice was also the worst hitter in all of MLB over the past week. We're not sold on that being an issue for much longer, but when you put it alongside some defensive questions, it certainly doesn't make you feel any better.

At this rate, Rice should be on the field as much as humanly possible. The Yankees can risk running Goldschmidt into the ground, and they cannot have a liberal first base platoon as we enter August. Whatever Rice's shortcomings are, it's time the Yankees sort them out with more playing time and not by trying to limit his exposure when he's going to deliver in tense defensive moments when the posteason arrives.

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