Back issue continues to keep Aaron Hicks sidelined
Yankees centerfielder Aaron Hicks warms up during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 19. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
TAMPA, Fla. – Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi often used the same phrase regarding back injuries.
“Backs are tricky,” he would say, meaning that what appears to be a short-term issue frequently can become a longer problem.
Aaron Hicks could be the latest example. The centerfielder tweaked his lower back last Friday and has been out since then. On Thursday, Aaron Boone said he hoped to see Hicks return at some point this weekend, but he altered that Friday.
“I’ll almost certainly hold him out through the off day [Monday],” Boone said.
Hicks took dry swings and did some light throwing Thursday and again Friday.
“Again, just playing it real conservative,” Boone said. “I don’t think he’s in a lot of pain or anything and I feel like it is minor, but it’s something we want to make sure we get out of there, and we have the time to do that right now.”
Betances building
When Dellin Betances’ fastball sat in the range of 88 to 91 mph in his first outing, it raised some red flags among scouts, but his velocity was a tick higher in his second appearance Friday night. With his fastball in the range of 89 to 93 mph, he struck out two of three in a perfect fifth.
Before the game, Boone chalked it up to the reliever arriving in camp nearly a week late because of the birth of his first child.
“Not overly concerned with the other day, other than it caught me off guard a little bit,” Boone said. “But I think he feels fine. It’s a matter of building arm strength.”
On the move
DJ LeMahieu made his second start at third base and will make his exhibition debut at first base next week.
“Everything in his work and what we’ve seen with our eyes continues to give me confidence that he’s going to be really good in this role,” Boone said.
Extra bases
Giancarlo Stanton hit his first homer, crushing a first-pitch off-speed delivery from Tigers lefthander Matthew Boyd for a two-run shot to leftfield that went out of the stadium in the first inning . . . Troy Tulowitzki, who missed all of last season, started back-to-back games for the first time.
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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