But now that Stanton is back, the Yankees need to find other ways to get Rice's bat in the lineup. He already played first base once to move Paul Goldschmidt to the bench, but that's not a feasible long-term solution. This time, Rice gets the catching start and Austin Wells sits.

The Yankees believe Rice is ready for the challenge. “I think this guy’s a major-league catcher," catching coordinator Tanner Swanson said.