Why keep sitting Yankees’ Ben Rice vs. lefties? Here is Aaron Boone’s take

NEW YORK — A 10th of the way through the season, most of the Yankees’ regulars are off to slow or terrible starts.

Even after Monday night’s offensive awakening, an 11-10 series-opening win over the Angels, the Yankees were sitting on a .214 team batting average that ranked 27th best among 30 MLB teams with two starters hitting in the .230s and five in the .100s.

No matter, manager Aaron Boone didn’t start Ben Rice for the second game in a row even though the first baseman is making an early run to challenge Aaron Judge for American League MVP.

The Yankees faced a left-handed starter, so right-handed-hitting bench player Paul Goldschmidt got the start at first with Rice, a left-handed hitter, on the bench.

Boone keeps saying there is no platoon at first, but that’s the way it’s been for all four left-handers the Yankees have faced thus far: the Mariners’ Robbie Ray in Seattle on March 27, the Rays’ Steven Matz last Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the Angels’ Yusei Kikucki and Reid Detmers the last two nights.

Goldschmidt, 38, was one of the best hitters in the majors against lefties last season, but Rice is a rising star who is among the league hitters in a lot of hitting categories. Through Monday, he was first with an 1.053 OPS, third with .362 average, tied for seventh with four homers, and tied for ninth with 12 RBIs.

It’s a small sample size, but Rice also had a respectable .273 average in 11 lefty-vs.-lefty at-bats counting his single after he entered Tuesday’s game in the fifth inning.

“My plan going into this series was to Ben play (Tuesday), but I’ve just been able to so aggressively use Benny (off the bench),” Boone said. “Even though he’s not in the starting lineup, I view him playing a major (factor).

“In the last two games that he sat against a lefty, he’s gotten five at-bats … a homer, walk, single. I’ve been able to kind of fire him at the most important part, and it might be early in the game.”

This early trend isn’t going to be how it shakes out all season, Boone contends.

“(Rice) is going to play against lefties,” he said. “We’re in a unique spot to where Goldie, his superpower at this point in his career is he’s really great against left-handed pitching and he’s has been outstanding so far to start the year.”

Rice caught some last season, but this year has been limited to one inning in a spring training game plus bullpens and live BPs.

“I’m not ready to catch Benny yet,” Boone said.

Besides Rice, two other left-handed bats were out of Tuesday’s lineup.

Randal Grichuk started in left field over Cody Bellinger, a .237 hitter with one homer who sat for the first time. Amed Rosario was at second base with Jazz Chisholm, a .180 hitter with no homers, not starting for the second time.

“I just feel like Jazz is one of those guys that’s been grinding and scuffling a little bit to start the season,” Boone said. “More than anything, just here early in the season I feel like this is a good day to get Jazz (off) as he’s trying to get on track a little bit.

“And then Belly, I just felt like the last few days he’s been grinding a little bit, too. And he’s a guy that’s played every inning of every game so far, so I kind of want to be mindful as we’re in our first long stretch where it’s probably not the worst thing to have him start down.

“Again, the good thing I think about some of our regulars is maybe they’re not starting the game, but they really have a chance to impact it, and it could be early and often.”

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