Hicks set for rehab stint, Ellsbury shut down
Aaron Hicks is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Sunday and will repeat the process Monday.
Beyond those two outfield appearances for Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes/Barre the switch-hitting Hicks doesn’t know if he will come off the disabled list on Tuesday, the first day on which he is eligible.
“I have no idea. All I know is that I am going there,’’ Hicks said when asked Friday before the Yankee’s 7-3 loss to the Orioles in 14 inning if he would be back in time to open a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday.
Hicks played in the season opener March 29 against Toronto and went on the DL the following day with a intercostal muscle injury. He lobbied to avoid the DL, but the Yankees didn’t want to hear it and put Hicks on the shelf even though fellow center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was already on the DL with a right oblique injury.
This week the Yankees announced Ellsbury was shut down from workouts in Tampa because to a left hip issue. The outfield suffered another setback in the third game of the season when left fielder Billy McKinney went on the DL with a sprained left (throwing) shoulder.
Manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Hicks is doing well, but stopped short of saying he would rejoin the club Tuesday.
“We will see. We certainly need him and miss him, but we also want to be smart,” Boone said. “He was upset at me for going on the disabled list. We felt we had to get ahead of this, especially this time of year. All signs point to him being back, whether it’s early in the week or the middle of the week we think it’s around the corner but we have to get through some significant steps before we get there.’’
Brett Gardner started a fourth straight game in center field Friday night against the Orioles. As for Ellsbury, he was examined by a hip specialist in New York on Friday, but Boone didn’t have many details.
“Hopefully it’s minor and it’s just a few days where he is shut down a little bit,’’ Boone said. “Hopefully it’s not too long before he can start getting at-bats again.’’
According to Boone, the hip problem isn’t related to Ellsbury’s right intercostal issue.
“It doesn’t sound like it’s anything serious, but it’s enough to shut him down here for a couple of days,’’ Boone said. Saturday’s starter
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