The New York Yankees dodged a bullet Sunday when rookie first baseman Ben Rice exited the game against the Baltimore Orioles with a bruised left hand—but the news could have been much worse.

Rice, who was having a standout afternoon at the plate, left after the Yankees batted in the third inning and was replaced by veteran Paul Goldschmidt. The injury occurred in the top half of the inning when Rice grimaced while fielding a low pickoff throw from pitcher Max Fried, with Leody Taveras on first base.

The Yankees quickly confirmed that X-rays came back negative, and Rice is listed as day to day—a major sigh of relief for a team that has enjoyed relatively good health this season.

Before the injury, Rice was putting together a memorable performance. He launched his 12th home run of the season in the first inning, then followed up with a double and came around to score on Aaron Judge's two-run blast in the third. Through 33 games, Rice is hitting an impressive .343 with 12 homers and 27 RBIs, including 25 starts at first base.

The Yankees have been fortunate on the injury front for the most part, though they did place Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list last week with a strained right calf. For now, Rice's quick recovery will be a top priority as the Bombers look to keep their momentum rolling.