Ben Rice’s recent offensive struggles continued Saturday as the New York Yankees lost 4-1 to the Boston Red Sox. Rice, who has been a key offensive contributor for the Yankees for much of the season, went 0-for-4 and is now batting just 2-for-23 with a .174 OPS over his last six games. The Yankees have lost four of those six contests.

Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Rice is "grinding a little bit right now" but expressed confidence in his slugging first baseman. "Even the guys that are going to the All-Star Game and are in the MVP conversations, there’s going to be weeks where it’s not easy, where you go through it a little bit," Boone said. "He'll be fine, he'll get through that. Hopefully start getting it going [Sunday]."

Rice's downturn is particularly noticeable given his overall strong performance this season, entering Saturday's game batting .276 with a .940 OPS. This six-game stretch marks his quietest of the season so far. His difficulties Saturday were compounded by facing Red Sox lefty Jake Bennett, who "executed pretty well against him to give him some problems," according to Boone. In an unusual sequence, Rice grounded out in eight consecutive plate appearances before striking out in his final at-bat.

The Yankees' offense as a whole has experienced a cold stretch, a situation not helped by the continued absence of injured stars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Potential Reinforcements on the Horizon

While Judge and Stanton remain on the injured list with no immediate return timetable, the Yankees expect to have both Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon back within the next week. Grisham, who is recovering from a right hamstring strain, is slated to play at least one rehab game, likely on Tuesday, before potentially rejoining the team for their upcoming homestand starting Monday. Grisham had been one of the Yankees’ hottest hitters before his injury, and his return is also anticipated to bolster the team's defense.

McMahon, diagnosed with a peritonsillar abscess, is first eligible to be activated on Thursday. After being prescribed rest, he returned to New York and began baseball activities over the weekend. "When he was leaving [Friday] morning from the hotel, he was feeling again another day better, good night’s sleep," Boone said. "He should be doing baseball activities now all week and would expect him when the 10 days is up."

Amidst Rice's struggles, Max Schuemann provided a bright spot on Saturday, crushing his first home run as a Yankee, a 412-foot blast off Bennett that accounted for the team's sole run in the loss. Schuemann started in center field for the second time this season.