Aaron Hicks back in Yankees' lineup in leftfield after rough game
Aaron Hicks of the Yankees doubles during the ninth inning against the Twins at Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
BOSTON — Less than a week after one of worst nights of his professional life, Aaron Hicks was back in the Yankees starting lineup.
The outfielder, pulled from last Friday’s loss to the Rays at the Stadium after misplaying two balls in leftfield, which drew some of the loudest booing of a home player in years, started in left Wednesday night and batted ninth.
“I just wanted to get another lefty in there against (Brayan) Bello,” Aaron Boone said of the Red Sox righty starter.
Hicks, a switch hitter, had seen some brief playing time since getting yanked Friday, appearing in Tuesday’s 7-6 victory as a pinch hitter in the 10th (he walked and scored on Gleyber Torres’ bases-clearing double that made it 7-4).
Still, Boone didn’t make it sound as if Hicks, hitting .211 with a .624 OPS this season — which includes his current 7-for-53 (.132) slide — will be a regular any time soon, either.
“We talked after the fact back in New York,” Boone said of last Friday’s events. “And he was in there last night, he stayed in the game. He’s ready to go. Put the other day behind us and we have another important game (tonight) that he’s a part of.”
More positives for Rizzo
Boone said there’s a “possibility” Anthony Rizzo is activated in time for Sunday’s series finale against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Rizzo, on the IL since Sept. 6 with severe headaches from the epidural shot he received Sept. 1 for what has been a chronic lower-back issue, had a light workout on the field before Wednesday’s game. Boone said the 32-year-old is set to face Scott Effross Friday in Milwaukee in a live BP session.
“Rizz felt really good today doing some ground balls out there, running at 100% out there,” Boone said. “I know he was hitting in the cage. Tomorrow (Thursday) will be a lighter day on our off-day for him, and then Friday will be another heavy day, with what we hope is also him hitting off Effross.”
Effross, out since Aug. 22 with a right shoulder strain, could return to the club by the next homestand, which starts Tuesday against the Pirates.
Chapman about set
Aroldis Chapman, who allowed a hit and a walk in one inning in which he struck out two Tuesday night in a rehab outing with Double-A Somerset, is slated to rejoin the Yankees in time for Friday’s game against the Brewers.
Chapman, who lost his closer’s job in May to Clay Holmes, has been on the IL Aug. 27 an infected wound from a tattoo.
"We’ll see,” Boone said of what kind of role he foresaw for the lefty, a free agent after the season. “Hopefully we can get him going. Watching his outing from last night this morning, I thought he looked really good. We’ve seen a lot of good from him in the second half. Physically, we know it’s still there. It could be any and every role. Trying to get him going to potentially be a factor for us at the end.”
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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