Hicks gets infield single after getting most of the night off
When Aaron Boone got past the first four spots in the lineup, it was apparent Aaron Hicks wasn’t starting Monday night’s game against the Rays at Yankee Stadium.
Hicks left the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader sweep of the Mets due to cramps in each calf. However, Boone said that wasn’t why the switch-hitting center fielder was held out of Monday’s lineup.
“He is good to go and playing the doubleheader he was going to have one of these next several days off so just felt like coming out of double header and coming out of the cramping I felt like it was today,’’ said Boone, who used Hicks as a pinch hitter in a 5-3 loss and watched him beat the shift with a single in the ninth inning.
When discussing Hicks, his injury history can’t be ignored. Since 2013, when he was with the Twins, Hicks has been on the injured list 11 times. It would have been 12 had the season started on time in March since Hicks was coming back from Tommy John surgery after last season.
Brett Gardner started in center field Monday night, Mike Tauchman was in left and Clint Frazier in right.
Hicks had a colossal three-run homer in the seventh inning of the first game on Sunday that tied the score, 7-7, but the first 32 games of the 60-game schedule haven’t been good.
Appearing in 29 games, Hicks is hitting .209 (19-for-87) with three homers, 10 RBIs and a .790 OPS.
While Hicks has struggled he has company in Gardner, who is hitting .169 (12-for-71) after going 0-for-3 with a walk Monday night. In his last 15 games, Gardner is hitting .135 (5-for-37).
➤ The last time Zack Britton was on the mound he didn’t look like one of baseball’s premier relievers, but that is what Boone expects of the lefty when he comes off the IL.
“Obviously getting Britton back, obviously he is one of the best relievers in the game,’’ Boone said of the lefty who last pitched on Aug. 19 when he suffered a hamstring problem covering first base in his second inning of work. In two-thirds of an inning Britton that day allowed two runs (one earned, thanks to his error), two hits and issued a walk. “To add him to the mix will be really important for us.’’
➤ According to Boone, backup catcher Kyle Higashioka could “possibly’’ come off the IL Tuesday. Higashioka has been on the shelf since Aug. 8 due to a strained right oblique. With the rosters at 28 the Yankees could hang onto Erik Kratz and carry three catchers.
➤ Right-hander Miguel Yajure’s major league debut wasn’t as solid as Deivi Garcia’s on Sunday, but Yajure gave the Yankees a chance to come back with three scoreless innings of relief Monday night.
Working the final three frames Yajure walked three and struck out two. He is the sixth Yankee to make his major league debut this year and according to YES the first player in MLB history to wear No. 89.