**Yankees Make Last-Minute Lineup Change Ahead of Rain-Delayed Finale**
The New York Yankees were forced to make a sudden adjustment to their starting lineup on Sunday, scratching star player Aaron Judge from the rain-delayed regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Judge, who was originally slated to play center field, was replaced by Trent Grisham.
The move came just as the team announced that the game would not start as scheduled at 3:05 p.m. ET, citing soggy field conditions. Judge had been given the day off on Friday, following the Yankees’ AL East title clinch, and returned to the lineup on Saturday, going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts.
Meanwhile, first baseman Ben Rice was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill the void left by Anthony Rizzo, who suffered a finger injury on Saturday. Rizzo fractured the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki, marking the 22nd time he’s been hit by a pitch in his career.
Rice, a 2021 draft pick, has played 48 games at first base and boasts a.996 fielding percentage. Despite a slump towards the end of his initial stint, Rice has shown promise, hitting.293 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs in 30 games at Triple-A.
Manager Boone expressed confidence in Rice’s abilities, saying, “He’s obviously gained a lot of experience at first base this year and I feel like he handled that all really well… I feel like he handled himself defensively, maybe even better than I anticipated.”
With Rizzo’s playoff status uncertain, the Yankees may also consider Oswaldo Cabrera, who has made five starts at first base, as an option. DJ LeMahieu remains sidelined with a right hip impingement, further complicating the team’s infield situation.
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