Breaking News: Ben Rice Set To Leave Yankees For AL East Rival If His Term Are Not Agreed Upon. Full Article In….

Ben Rice, a rookie, has been moved to the cleanup position by the struggling New York Yankees in preparation for their game against Tampa Bay on Wednesday night.

The Yankees have the worst major league record (5-16) since June 15. They did, however, maintain their wild-card berth in the AL through June 14 after finishing with the best record at 50-22. After 19 games, Rice becomes just the sixth player in franchise history to hit five or more home runs. Following his historic feat of being the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a single game against Boston last Saturday, the first baseman smacked a home shot on Tuesday in the team’s 5-3 loss against the Rays.

“We’re experimenting a little bit,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s been producing quality at-bats on a regular basis.”

Rice has been replaced as the leadoff hitter by Alex Verdugo, but Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are still positioned second and third in the lineup.

Boone continued, “I think Ben’s approach is sound right now.” He obviously has a nice rhythm. His presence should be prominent in the middle of our batting order.

In other team news, Boone disclosed that left-handed reliever Tim Mayza has been signed by the Yankees to a minor league contract. After Mayza finished the season with a 0-1 record and an 8.03 ERA in 35 games, Toronto dismissed him on July 5.

“It’s been a difficult year for him,” Boone said. “He’s had good success in the AL East before. We have a low-risk chance to assess his prospective contributions now.

Mayza has played in 352 games throughout his seven major league seasons, compiling a 20-8 record and a 3.87 ERA.