Frazier plans to gut it out for depleted Yanks
ANAHEIM — Clint Frazier did his best to talk his way into the Yankees lineup Tuesday night, but the young outfielder could not convince Aaron Boone to do it. Frazier, who rolled his left ankle in Monday night’s game, was on the bench for the second game of the series against the Angels.
“I guess I am going to take a day, but he told me if there was a situation in the game, I will be one of the first ones up to come in,” Frazier said. “I think it’s just a precautionary thing. I reemphasized multiple times if I was in that lineup, I could play. I guess I was gonna get a day at some point over the road trip, so I guess this was a good day to do it.”
Frazier said he could still feel the soreness from the collision with second base and Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons. It happened in the 12th inning of the Yankees’ 4-3, 14inning win at Angels Stadium.
Frazier was able to stay in the game, scoring on a sacrifice fly that inning and playing three more innings in the field. The ankle was heavily wrapped
over his high-top cleats.
With 13 players already on the injured list, Frazier feels an obligation to stay on the field at the same time that Boone feels an obligation to protect the player who has helped the Yankees survive such a decimated lineup.
“Obviously we are in the situation where we have guys banged up, we do have to be smart about it,” Frazier said. “But if I was in that lineup tonight, I know I could still go out there and give my best effort and contribute to the team however I could.”
Frazier has been a huge contributor since the Yankees called him up to replace Giancarlo Stanton, who is on the IL with a strained left biceps. He is one of the Yankees’ most reliable hitters with runners in scoring position, going 8-for-17 with a double, two home runs and 12 RBI.
In 18 games, he’s hitting .324 with six homers and 17 RBI.
After a brutal spring training, where Frazier seemed to be trying to make up for all the time he missed dealing with post-concussion symptoms last year, it has been a pleasant surprise for Yankees GM Brian Cashman.
“If we were where we needed to be in terms of health, he was going to be finishing off on the offensive and defensive side just below at Triple-A,” Cashman said Monday on WFAN’s Mike Francesa’s show. “But he got pushed into a position where we’re counting on him and others, and he’s stepping up and you have to give him real props,” Cashman said of Frazier. “That’s the stuff he lives for. He talked openly in the winter time about, ‘I’m gonna take that job and be there and be on the team on Opening Day.’ He wasn’t. He didn’t have a good spring, but then when needed and called upon, he’s really risen to the occasion.
“He’s the one right now that I think people are gonna be careful to pitch around, because he’s got a good mojo going and he feels good about what he’s doing. He knows he’s impacting us, so his confidence is sky-high right now.”
But Tuesday, the Yankees had to err on the side of caution. They could not risk losing Frazier for any long period of time.
Boone emphasized that he would not hesitate to use Frazier off the bench Tuesday night, but the Yankees manager had planned to give Frazier a day off during this stretch of 13 straight games anyway. With the scare Monday night, Tuesday seemed like the perfect time.
“Precaution and being in the middle of 13 in a row, not having a day, essentially playing a doubleheader and getting nicked up last night. The temptation was to just run him out there because I feel like he is good enough to play,” Boone said. “But also just thinking a day off in here at some point as I’ve tried to give most of our guys in this stretch of games probably made some sense with the idea that in a big spot I wouldn’t hesitate.”