Yankees' Ben Rice hints at shocking decision with Giancarlo Stanton injury return looming

If the New York Yankees want to play Giancarlo Stanton regularly at DH when he returns from injury, they'll need to find a spot for Ben Rice.

The left-handed slugger has hit too well in Stanton's absence to remove him from the lineup.

Rice raised eyebrows recently when he took grounders at third base before a game. He had also spent one pregame session earlier in the season at shortstop.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it didn't mean anything.

“Not necessarily read anything into it,” Boone said, “just doing it for fun right now.”

Except, well, there's gotta be value in it.

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The Yankees have been putrid at third base this year. It'd be the perfect slot for Rice to fill if he could pull it off.

A few pregame grounders here, a few there, and all of a sudden maybe you've created a passable third baseman.

It's obviously not an easy spot, but the Yankees could afford a bit of a negative defender if Rice keeps hitting how he is.

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Rice is batting .250/.348/.529. He has nine home runs and the batted-ball metrics to support his sudden rise to prominence.

Stanton hasn't yet started a rehab assignment, but he's coming. Maybe Rice should have some more fun taking ground balls pregame at third base. It could come in handy.

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