Rice seeks more swings against southpaws this spring

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Ben Rice wants as many at-bats as he can get against left-handed pitching this spring, believing those extra battles will help smooth out a weak spot in his performance thus far.

Since reaching the Majors two seasons ago, the 27-year-old Rice has batted .189 (27-for-143) with a .683 OPS against southpaws, a blemish in an otherwise promising offensive package.

“It’s all about reps,” Rice said. “The more I see of them, the better it’ll get. I’m really trying to prioritize seeing them if there’s ever live [batting practice] going on – just keep seeing them and seeing them.

“Getting used to seeing the way their stuff moves, how you swing at it, how it feels on the barrel. I just want to swing at the right pitches and try to hit them hard.”

Paul Goldschmidt figures to get most of his at-bats against left-handed pitchers after batting .336 (50-for-149) with a .981 OPS against them a year ago. That doesn’t necessarily mean Rice will be on the bench.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is considering an alignment where Goldschmidt would play first base and Rice catches against tough lefties, keeping his bat in the lineup while resting Austin Wells – also a left-handed bat.

“In a perfect world, I’m just in the lineup every day,” Rice said. “I don’t really care where it’s at. Obviously, I’ve been able to play well enough to the point where first base has become an avenue for me. But catching is the position I’ve played my whole life, so if they throw me back there, I’m OK with it. I’ll do my best at it.”

Slowed by a stiff neck earlier in camp, Rice went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk as the designated hitter in his spring debut on Monday in Bradenton, Fla., a 6-2 Grapefruit League victory over the Pirates.

The trip was productive for Rice, who saw two lefties. His second hit was an infield single off Gregory Soto in the fourth inning, and he worked a walk facing Hunter Barco in the sixth.

“I’ll take that against a tough lefty like Soto – that guy throws gas,” Rice said. “But I can’t say those [infield hits] are probably going to be very frequent.”

Boone said that while he’s pleased it worked out that Rice and Jasson Domínguez (1-for-4, three strikeouts) saw lefties in a game setting, the Yankees won’t adjust their travel rosters based on scheduled pitching.

It’s easier, they believe, to stack live-armed lefties at their practice fields in Tampa, Fla., where matchups can be more controlled.

“It's great when you can do it in the game, but it’s a little harder to plan,” Boone said. “I think [Rice] is an outstanding hitter, and that’s what we’re going to see.”

A Stan plan
Giancarlo Stanton is tentatively scheduled to play his first spring game around the team’s March 2 off-day, Boone said – potentially the March 3 contest against Panama’s World Baseball Classic team at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The slugger has said his epicondylitis in both elbows seems to be at a manageable level, and he has participated in drills, including some light outfield work.

“He’s doing everything he needs to do, and he can get the at-bats [outside of games],” Boone said. “With him, I talk a lot with him and work through that. With the WBC, I have a lot of guys playing a lot this first week. So I feel like the March buildup is kind of perfect.”

Additionally, Oswaldo Cabrera continues to participate in drills and appears to be moving well, but he has not yet resumed sliding. That is the final hurdle he needs to clear before playing in spring games. Boone said Tuesday that Cabrera’s status for the Opening Day roster is “TBD.”

On deck
Ryan Weathers will make his spring debut on Wednesday as the Yankees host the Nationals under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET.