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TAMPA — Ben Rice was forced to stop cooking Saturday.
The Yankees’ red-hot designated hitter had to leave their game against the Rays shortly after he was hit on the left elbow by an 88 mph slider in the top of the fourth inning.
Rice was in obvious pain and was tended to by manager Aaron Boone and a trainer, but stayed in to run the bases.
Then, after scoring on Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly, Rice returned to the dugout still favoring the elbow and seconds later headed down the steps to the clubhouse followed by a trainer.
The next time Rice’s spot in the lineup came around, Pablo Reyes pinch-hit for him in the top of the sixth.
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He sustained a left elbow contusion and went to a local hospital for X-rays — which came back negative — and a CT scan.
Rice was hit by two pitches on Saturday and came around to score both times.
He was batting .292 with a 1.003 OPS, emerging as a semi-regular leadoff hitter and a big left-handed bat to help the Yankees survive the injury absence of Giancarlo Stanton.