Aaron Hicks received treatment for his stiff back on Monday, but he and the New York Yankees say it’s not a big deal.
On Monday the New York Yankees decided it was time to stick Aaron Hicks with a cortisone shot for his back. No one seems overly concerned, though.
The center fielder has been absent for 10 days’ worth of action since he started experiencing stiffness. After the injection, he’s planning to miss even more time.
“Something like this that’s been lingering, you’ve got to do something about it,” Hicks told the New York Post’s Dan Martin. “At least by me getting it [now], I’ll probably lose three or four [more] days and then get on the field after that.”
Bombers manager Aaron Boone echoed Hicks’ suggested timetable for a return. He also indicated that while it’s not yet time to worry, that day could come:
[membership level="0"] [/membership]“I would say we’re not close to that, but there’s a point, absolutely,” Boone told Martin. “I hope [Wednesday] he’s ready to go and we can ramp him up and maybe by the weekend he’s playing again.”
Hicks, who inked a $70 million extension in February, has only had nine at-bats so far this spring. With only 15 contests left before Opening Day, he needs to get back to work soon.
If he’s not ready in time, Clint Frazier might be able to snag a roster spot. Another option would be keeping both Greg Bird and Luke Voit on the roster.
One of the two first basemen could DH while Giancarlo Stanton moves to the outfield until Hicks returns. In addition, Bird’s lefty bat replaces the lineup balance lost with the switch-hitting Hicks.
Ideally, though, the Yankees head to the Bronx with their center fielder ready to go.
