Ben Rice denies having any extra pressure to carry Yankees offense with Aaron Judge out

Ben Rice has found himself in the American League MVP conversation for much of the season.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

That’s even with a healthy Aaron Judge — or so we thought — hitting in the same lineup and looking for his third straight MVP.But now Rice, like the rest of the Yankees lineup, is facing a new challenge: hitting without Judge’s bat to protect them.For Rice, it’s especially true, as he’s hit directly in front of Judge for much of the year.In the four games prior to Saturday’s rainout against Boston, Rice instead had Paul Goldschmidt hitting behind him.Goldschmidt, still a dangerous hitter — particularly against lefties — doesn’t offer quite the protection Judge did.“He’s a big presence to not have in our lineup,” Rice said after Friday’s loss in The Bronx.“It’s definitely gonna hurt us, but all we can do is keep moving forward.”Asked if not having Judge’s bat behind him might add pressure to his at-bats, Rice said, “No.

I focus on today.We’ll evaluate it at the end.”And not having Judge — even the limited version he said he’s been since late April, when he believes he first injured the right rib that will likely sideline him for two months — will surely impact the way pitchers approach the Yankee lineup.As to whether he thinks he’ll be pitched to differently in Judge’s absence, Rice said, “It’s not for me to say.

We’ll see what happens.All I can control is the pitches I swing at and don’swing at.”In four games without Judge, Rice is 4-for-14 with three walks and six strikeouts and had a double and a homer.Hitting coach James Rowson recently praised Rice’s work ethic behind the scenes, especially with his willingness to study how opposing pitchers pitches to him.“That’s part of what’s made him better,’’ Rowson said.

“It’s not just talent.A lot of guys are tal...