The New York Yankees are going to start the season without Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Anthony Volpe due to injury. Cam Schlittler is dealing with a non-worrying back issue. Now, catcher Ben Rice is working through a neck issue.
This injury, though, was not from any sort of baseball activity.
“I fall asleep in one position and wake up in another, something everyone deals with,” Rice told reporters (h/t Greg Joyce, NY Post).
While it is deemed minor and should not impact him in any long-term scenario throughout spring training, he has yet to hit the batting cages, though he did catch Rodon’s bullpen session on Saturday. Rice will likely serve as a secondary option behind the plate to Austin Wells this season while getting the bulk of his playing time at first base, even after the Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt.
Rice is coming off a breakout campaign in which he posted an .836 OPS with 26 home runs and 65 RBI in 138 games.
