Aaron Hicks was already off to a slow start this season and has over $40 million left on his contract with the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees announced today that centerfielder Aaron Hicks will have surgery on his left wrist and could miss the rest of the season.
Aaron Hicks is being scheduled for left wrist surgery. It is potentially season-ending.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) May 21, 2021
Hicks recently tore the tendon sheath in his wrist and appeared in just one game on New York’s recent ten-game road trip. He saw his strikeouts go up and his walks drop in 2021, and was batting just .194 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Even worse is that at the time of the injury, Hicks was actually batting .333 in the month of May.
But now, the Yankees have a decision to make. Hicks has been unable to stay healthy since signing a seven-year, $70 million extension in 2019. Per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, manager Aaron Boone has already tabbed veteran Brett Gardner to handle center field.
This means even though the trade deadline is still months away, the Yankees need a centerfielder. Starling Marte and Ketel Marte could both be options, but will cost a significant return. At this point, the Yankees probably don’t have the prospects or pieces to make a deal happen.
One way or another, Aaron Hicks is probably out for the season and there’s a hole in the outfield. Let’s see how the New York Yankees fix it.