Aaron Hicks' elbow injury 'could be' season-ending, Yankees manager Aaron Boone says
Yankees outfiedler Aaron Hicks reacts after he was called out on strikes during the seventh inning against the Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium on July 30. Credit: Jim McIsaac
BOSTON — Aaron Hicks could be done for the year.
Aaron Boone said before Saturday afternoon’s game against the Red Sox that the centerfielder, out since Aug. 4 with a flexor strain in his right elbow, has been “slowed down” in his rehab. He did not rule out the possibility that Hicks’ season is in jeopardy.
“It could be,” Boone said.
Hicks, who signed a seven-year, $70 million extension during spring training, has been injury-plagued for much of his career. He missed the first 40 games of the regular season because of a lower back injury and has played in 59 games this season, hitting .235 with 12 homers and a .769 OPS.
Hicks started a throwing program Monday and was supposed to begin swinging a bat by mid-week, but those plans were scrapped.
“Just not feeling quite right,” Boone said. “He had another MRI done, everything checked out really well, so that’s encouraging, but he’s still not quite where he needs to be to really start ramping up.”
As no one needs reminding, however, the clock is ticking on the regular season.
“He’s just not able to really let it go,” Boone said of Hicks' throwing. “So we had more tests done yesterday where they had the dye in there and everything. The ligament’s sound, the flexor strain that he had looks healed, so he might get a second opinion just to make sure, but we feel pretty good about where he is from an injury front. Now it’s getting to that point where we’re able to advance him in baseball activities.”
