Yankees' Clint Frazier goes 2-for-4 in first rehab game with Tampa
Clint Frazier of the Yankees can't come up with a ball hit for a double during the second inning against the Royals at Yankee Stadium on June 24. Credit: Jim McIsaac
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – It might be among the longest injured list stints ever without there being a specific diagnosis, at least a public one.
Outfielder Clint Frazier, on the IL since July 1 – he was put there after leaving the previous night’s game with complaints of dizziness – went 2-for-4 with a double to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday night with Low-A Tampa.
The Yankees still list "vertigo" on their game notes as the reason for the stint, but weeks ago, Aaron Boone said that had been ruled out as his affliction. Frazier spent much of the last month being evaluated by a variety of specialists across different fields.
"I don't know what the final diagnosis was," Boone said before Tuesday night’s game. "Obviously, he went through so many tests to kind of rule out any concussion things. There's some vision things that I think they got a hold of; they did some things exercise-wise in the neck that have freed him up a little bit. So I think there's a number of things that they looked at and ruled out."
The conclusion, Boone said, was Frazier was going through "probably some vision and neck things," with indications being the 26-year-old has been able to put those in the past.
"I know he's in a pretty good place and one of the drivers to get back out there," Boone said.
The manager – and not without cause – did not have an answer for what role, if any, Frazier might have if he’s back in the big leagues in 2021.
"Clint, we know what he's capable of and his talent," Boone said. "But that's so far down the line. The first thing is him going out and playing, it’s been a while, and he needs to get games under his belt again. That's a ways off to even think about."
COVID latest
Boone said Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, who are both on the COVID-19 IL, will "probably rejoin us" at some point during this trip, though not to the point of being activated right away.
"Hopefully [they’ll] throw a bullpen at some point this weekend," Boone said. "And then we’ll kind of evaluate along with them where they are."
After Thursday’s game in Dyersville, Iowa against the White Sox, the Yankees are off Friday before resuming the three-game series in Chicago on Saturday.
As for the other two players on the COVID IL, Boone said Anthony Rizzo still has "some symptoms," and Gary Sanchez has "really turned the corner the last couple of days" to the point of being able to hit off of a tee on Tuesday.
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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