When New York Yankees superstar and team captain Aaron Judge went down with a rib fracture in early June, the news came as bittersweet to the fanbase. On the one hand, Judge and the team seemingly avoided the worst. What was initially feared to be thoracic outlet syndrome and an even longer absence turned into a recovery time of approximately two months. On the other hand, that is a long time for the Yankees’ lineup to be without the best hitter in baseball. Even though fans can rest assured that Judge will be back later this season, apprehension and even despair surrounded the news of Judge’s stint on the injured list.
Judge isn’t the only prominent Yankee to hit the shelf in recent weeks, either. Perhaps most notably, Giancarlo Stanton appeared to suffer a setback this week while rehabbing from a calf strain, which has kept him out since late April. Earlier in the week, Trent Grisham, who had gotten some big hits in early June, landed on the IL with a hamstring strain. Before that, Austin Wells was shelved after experiencing cervical headaches and has yet to return.
To stay afloat in a tight American League East race with the Tampa Bay Rays, the rest of the Yankees lineup would need to step up in the absence of Judge, Stanton, Wells, and Grisham. So far, they’ve done just that, spurring the Bombers to wins in six of their last seven games. In their latest series over the weekend, in which they took two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, two players in particular came up big in clutch moments: Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt.
Yankees Lineup Continues to Mash Without Judge, Other Injured Players
Rice is Nice
Rice has gotten it done all season in what has been a breakout year for the young first baseman/catcher. His latest heroics came on Sunday, when he hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to break a 3-3 tie. After José Caballero added a three-run homer later in the inning, the Yankees came away with an 8-3 victory to clinch the series win. In his last 15 games, Rice has slashed .317/.414/.600 with three homers and 13 RBI. While most of that output came during the first week of that stretch, Sunday’s homer was the latest example of Rice’s clutch abilities in what is sure to be his first All-Star season.
BEN RICE GO-AHEAD HOMER IN THE 9TH! pic.twitter.com/mQMtnZoe7H
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2026
Goldy is Golden
On Saturday, Goldschmidt played the hero a day before Rice, hitting a two-run ninth-inning homer of his own to break a 1-1 tie. The Yankees held on for the 3-1 win. Getting increased playing time of late, both as a result of Stanton’s injury and his first base platoon with Rice while facing left-handers, the seven-time All-Star is taking full advantage. Hitting .295 on the year through 45 games played, he’s been scorching hot over his last seven. In that time, he is slashing .414/.438/.621 with two home runs, eight RBI, and 12 hits in 29 at-bats.
Go-Ahead Goldy 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7fhWCAmgVM
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 13, 2026
Now 38 years old and no longer a full-time starter, Goldschmidt continues to make the most of his opportunities and reward the Yankees for keeping him on for another season. His slash line in 2025 was .274/.328/.403, which isn’t bad by any stretch, but doesn’t jump off the page either. He also got fewer chances to contribute as the season wore on, and once it was over, Goldschmidt was looking like a one-and-done Yankee. However, by seeing that he was a good fit in a platoon role at first base and his ability to mash left-handed pitching, the Yankees are now reaping the benefits.
The Last Word
After Judge’s injury and all the other bad news surrounding it, a backward slide by the Yankees seemed inevitable, especially given their tendency for an annual June swoon after a hot start to the season. However, led by Rice and Goldschmidt, the Yankees’ lineup continues to get the job done in various ways. Whether it’s a high-scoring laugher or someone getting a clutch hit in a tight game, the depth of this offense is allowing New York to keep pace with the pesky Rays. No matter when the Yankees return to full strength, if they continue to get contributions up and down the lineup, it is sure to be an exciting pennant race the rest of the way.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
