Clint Frazier happy to be back in Yankees' lineup

Clint Frazier was bored and a little bit impatient. The two partially-torn ligaments in his left ankle — a Grade 2 sprain — had sidelined him when he wanted to play the most, he said. And frankly, after all the injury issues last season, Frazier was pretty much done with being a spectator.

“I wanted to play more than I ever had,” said Frazier, who started in rightfield for the Yankees on Monday night after two mind-numbing weeks on the injured list. “Being a young guy, getting an opportunity that you don’t know how long it’s going to last, it’s tough. We’ve had guys make the most of those opportunities and it’s been really fun to watch. It’s more fun to be a part of than it is to watch. I’m just happy to be on the other side of it.”

The Yankees are pretty happy, too, considering how injuries have ravaged this team in the first two months of the season. Now, with Miguel Andujar and Frazier back, and others making significant strides toward a return, it appears as if this team has weathered a significant — and potentially season-altering — stretch.

The .324 average and 17 RBIs Frazier compiled before his injury signified a step up for a player whose early career has been spent in perpetual limbo. He understands there may be some rust,— Monday, he was 0-for-4 while the Yankees cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Mariners — but his newfound job security has fed into his confidence.

“I feel like I’m a part of this because I didn’t come up for just a few games like I did the last couple years,” he said. “I’m getting a legitimate chance every day and that makes me feel like I’m a part of this team more so than [being] the 26th man.”

Frazier originally lobbied to stay off the injured list, but the outfielder moves that left ankle when he swings, and it’s imperative he be able to do that without hurting himself more. Then came the MRI, which made the decision much easier.

“There was probably a day-and-a-half lag time there before we put him on [the IL],” manager Aaron Boone said. “Then we got the imaging and there was enough in there that we felt like… it was the right thing to do. Really early on, he was feeling pretty good and pretty capable, so he definitely fought it a little bit.”

That ankle is taped now, but even without that assist, Frazier insists he can “move it with no pain at all.” When he first injured it, there was soreness and discoloration, and Frazier realizes now that if he had gotten his way, he could have possibly injured it in a more significant way.

“I think going into the season, we knew we had depth, but I don’t think we knew that we would be tested like we have,” Frazier said. “I know everyone keeps saying we’ve embraced the whole ‘next man up’ thing and that’s true. It’s a testimony to everyone that brought us in here, and it’s obviously a testimony to ourselves to continue to push through it.”

He’s just relieved that the roles have reverted to where they were in mid-April, with Frazier as one of the guys helping the Yankees stay afloat, as opposed to one in the army of injured.

“I was really bored,” he said. “I wanted to play a lot and obviously, with the opportunity that we have and guys that are down … I’m just happy that I was one of the guys that was next in line to continue to get a chance and there’s a lot of guys in this locker room that are setting themselves up in a really good way. It’s going to be interesting when everyone comes back.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.