Aaron Hicks’ season could be over. The Yankees center fielder is having surgery on the torn tendon sheath in his wrist.
The surgery will knock him out for “months,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday. The manager said it was premature to speculate on whether Hicks could return before the end of the season.
“I know it’s months, plural, but I don’t know how many,” Boone said. “Let’s get through the surgery and see what they say about a potential timeline. If that puts any point at the end of the season in play or not, probably too early to speculate on that. But it’s gonna be a while.”
Hicks had been out for over a week while he and the Yankees decided whether to get treatment or surgery for the injury, which the team has been saying is chronic and doesn’t stem from one play.
Hicks has struggled to stay healthy with the Yankees, missing huge chunks of the 2017 and 2019 seasons. He had Tommy John surgery at the end of the 2019 season and was able to play nearly the entire 2020 season after it was delayed months by the coronavirus.
Like most Yankees outfielders not named Aaron Judge, Hicks was struggling at the plate this season, producing a .194/.294/.333 slash line. In six years with the Yankees, those numbers are .237/.342/.424.
With Hicks likely done, the Yankees will have to add outfield depth, one way or another.
Brett Gardner is starting in center field against the White Sox on Friday night, and Boone mentioned Tyler Wade as an option. He said that he would prefer not to play Aaron Judge in center.
Boone said that calling up prospect Estevan Florial was “in play,” although “nothing is imminent.”
According to one report, the team was in trade discussions with the Rangers about MLB veteran and current minor leaguer Delino DeShields Jr.
Hicks isn’t the only banged-up Yankee outfielder. Boone said Friday that Clint Frazier is still trying to get to the bottom of an issue with neck stiffness; it was unclear if Frazier will be available for Friday night’s game. And Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan LaMarre are on the injured list.
