Ben Rice’s bat helped power the Yankees to a needed win, but one swing in the sixth inning turned the night into something far more alarming.
New York broke things open with five runs in the 10th inning Wednesday night and beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3, with Rice finishing the game with two hits and an RBI. But the biggest moment involving the Yankees’ rookie came earlier, when his line drive into the camera well by the first-base dugout left a photographer injured and brought the game to a halt for about 10 minutes.
Rice was facing Angels pitcher Reid Detmers and turned on a 2-2 pitch, sending the ball screaming directly into the area beside the Yankees’ dugout. The reaction was instant. Play stopped, players looked toward the camera well, and it quickly became clear that the ball had struck a photographer in the head.
A scary scene at Angel Stadium after Ben Rice’s foul ball struck someone in the head in the camera well. The person was able to walk before leaving on a cart.
Rice was visibly shaken and shook the person’s hand before they left the field. pic.twitter.com/mPvWRZ48LZ
- Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 3, 2026
Yankees medical staff rushed in to help the injured person, who was eventually able to walk on their own to a cart while wearing a neck brace. Before the game resumed, Rice checked on the photographer and shook their hand.
Those moments are always tense, and this one was especially jarring because of how quickly the ball came off the bat from such close range. Even when someone is paying attention and wearing a glove, there’s not much margin for error. For photographers, focused on their cameras instead of the ball, the danger is even greater.
After the game, an Angels spokesperson said the injured person was “OK” and was continuing to receive medical treatment.
“Very relieved,” Rice said after the game. “I saw it, he definitely was not ready for any kind of impact there, he was looking the other direction.”
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