Scouting Report: Ben Hecht

Summary

Ben Rice, Yankees first baseman, suffered a left hand contusion on May 3, 2026 after misjudging a pickoff throw from Max Fried. X-rays came back negative. As of May 6, Rice has missed three consecutive games but manager Aaron Boone indicated the injury appears day-to-day and unlikely to require an IL stint. Rice felt better on May 6 and was expected to resume activities. Prior to the injury, Rice was leading the AL in batting average and all of MLB in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. The Yankees have won all games without him, but the organization expects his return soon.