Yankees lineup change vs. Angels hints fan favorite's days could be numbered

When Giancarlo Stanton's return became more of a looming reality than a kindly hypothetical, the Yankees increased their pursuit of an alternate pathway for slugging star Ben Rice. They tried him at third. They confessed he'd be a catcher in circumstances beyond late-inning blowouts. They did their due diligence, making it obvious they wouldn't turn him into the odd man out (though who knows how his rhythm will be impacted).

On Wednesday, the plan came to fruition — even though Stanton, hilariously, is on the bench for Game 1 of the Rice at Catcher Experiment against the Angels (with the Yankees mired in a five-game losing streak). So what, exactly, does this mean for current backup catcher JC Escarra as the lineup squeeze intensifies?

The "first time for everything!" quality of the lineup didn't necessarily indicate that a sweeping change is on the horizon for the Yankees. Still, they've been adamant that they have no intention of erasing or diminishing Rice's bat now that Stanton has returned. Is he going to be a catcher once in a blue moon to accommodate Big G? Then nothing will change. Will he assume the role of backup one-to-two times per week? Then that eclipses Escarra's rate of contribution.

Clearly, Escarra fans online were immediately worried about the potential implications when the lineup dropped.

Yankees lineup vs. Angels (featuring Ben Rice starting at catcher) could be bad news for JC Escarra

Then again ... the Yankees haven't been terribly intentional about their bench lately. They crammed out-of-options Oswald Peraza onto it at the end of spring so they wouldn't lose him, and carried Pablo "Under 30 At-Bats" Reyes nearly until the Summer Solstice. Maybe they'll maintain a catcher, backup, and non-traditional hybrid backstop all summer long.

It certainly would be risky to entertain losing Escarra (especially after what happened when Carlos Narváez was deemed expendable). The career minor-leaguer and odd-jobber has a 96 OPS+ and a walk-off to his name, which pairs nicely with excellent defense and framing ability. No shade whatsoever to Austin Wells, but it's hardly a coincidence that Escarra has been behind the plate for all four of the Yankees' pristine 1-0 shutout victories this season.

If big-league catching coach Tanner Swanson, one of the game's most revered instructors, says that Rice is ready for primetime, then we believe him (and it's a convenient swap to make). We'll need to see a larger body of evidence before we can condone putting Escarra on the hot seat as a result, though.