NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks will have surgery for a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist that could sideline him for the rest of the season.
Hicks will be out for months, New York manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Friday, but the team won’t be sure if the switch hitter has a chance to return this year until after the operation.
The 31-year-old Hicks is batting .194 with four homers, 14 RBIs and a .627 OPS in 32 games. He was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, retroactive to May 13, and the club initially tried to treat the injury with medicine — knowing if that wasn’t effective, Hicks likely would need surgery.
“I don’t think he’s in a lot of pain, but he feels it,” Boone said. “It doesn’t allow him to swing the bat the way he needs to.”
Brett Gardner was set to start in center field Friday night as the Yankees opened a home series against the Chicago White Sox, who arrived in town with the best record in the American League.
Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is also on the IL with a left quadriceps strain, and Boone said he’d rather keep Aaron Judge in right field.
Center fielder Ryan LaMarre was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Hicks went down, but subsequently hurt his hamstring and landed on the injured list. Touted prospect Estevan Florial, who made his major league debut last year, could be a long-term option in center.
“We’ll just have to figure it out on the fly a little bit,” Boone said.
Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier (neck) was feeling better after missing three straight games and told the staff he was good to go. Frazier was scheduled to meet with team physicians before Friday night’s game and there was a chance he could play, Boone said.
Pitching coach Matt Blake and first base coach Reggie Willits…
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