Yankees make long-awaited prospect promotion in response to Anthony Rizzo injury

The kid is getting his shot! On Monday night, it was revealed the New York Yankees would have to make a big-time decision following Anthony Rizzo's official injury news. The first baseman is set to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured forearm.

Though fans suspected a roster move was coming at some point, Rizzo's absence expedited the Yankees' process. His poor performance might not have forced a decision, but a long-term injury would.

As fans had hoped for, the team is reportedly calling up top prospect Ben Rice, who has been demolishing baseballs at the minor-league level. The former Dartmouth star has admirably risen through the team's farm system.

He's been selected and added to the 40-man roster with Rizzo heading to the injured list. Happy now, folks?

It was also suspected top prospect TJ Rumfield could be in the running, but Rice's ascension could not be ignored.

The Yankees are calling up Ben Rice to replace Anthony Rizzo. Between AA and AAA he had a .275.393.532 slash line with 15 homers.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 18, 2024

Yankees make long-awaited prospect promotion in response to Anthony Rizzo injury

Rice only has 11 games of experience at Triple-A, but he's absolutely raked, hitting .333 with a 1.059 OPS, 3 homers and 10 RBI. He hasn't slowed down across 60 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season and has only gotten better.

The 25-year-old was selected in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft and went from unranked prospect to No. 12 in the Yankees' system, according to MLB Pipeline. Though it was questioned if this would be the right in-season move to help with Rizzo's struggles while he was still healthy, it's now become imperative for the Yankees to see what they have in Rice before exploring deals at the trade deadline.

The Yankees are giving Ben Rice a shot to play 1B in Anthony Rizzo’s absence

Rice is hitting .275 with a .925 OPS and 15 homers across AA/AAA this season pic.twitter.com/pQ9usDf6Pd
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 18, 2024

The Yankees' mix of star-studded veterans and young up-and-coming players is among the best in MLB. Rice's lefty bat could add the much-needed pop to the first base position, which has lacked it for over a year now.

In the meantime, look for a larger platoon of Rice, DJ LeMahieu, and Oswaldo Cabrera in the corner infield spots as the Yankees weather the storm to address their depth.

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