The New York Yankees are quickly heading toward the All-Star break, a much-needed week of rest with several starters going down due to injury.
The bullpen has been ravaged with individual injuries the past few weeks, notably the loss of Ron Marinaccio. The team is expected to get back Jonathan Loáisiga and Domingo German potentially before the All-Star break, but they lost two impact players in the first two games against the Cincinnati Reds.
On Tuesday, Yankees starting outfielder Aaron Hicks fouled a ball off his right shin, forcing him to leave the game and go for x-rays. Luckily, the results were negative, but he suffered a bone contusion, which could take weeks to recover from.
“I was just hoping it wasn’t broken or some kind of fracture or something,” Hicks said on Wednesday.
Hicks slowly limped off the field with assistance, but the damage had already been done, and he could be out until late July at the earliest.
“I’m feeling better today. I had trouble walking [Tuesday]. But today it’s a little bit better. I got more flexion in my ankle. I’m able to actually move it up and down. So it’s better.”
Losing Hicks is a big blow to the Yankees outfield:
Hicks has been extremely efficient the past few weeks, hitting .247 with a 35.6% on-base rate in the month of June. He recorded two homers, 19 hits, and 11 walks over 77 at-bats. To start July, though, Hicks has been even more productive, hitting .370 with a 48.5% on base rate.
“It’s frustrating,” Hicks said. “It sucks, because I felt good at the plate. An injury like this, it’ll kind of stop you from doing what you love and slows everything down.”
On the season, Hicks is hitting .237 with a 35.6% on-base rate, six homers, and 26 RBIs. He’s also stolen nine bases, well on his way to beating his career best of 13 back in 2015.
Losing Hicks in the outfield puts general manager Brian Cashman in a tumulteous spot at the deadline. He may be hard-pressed to find a supplement like Andrew Benintendi or go for a blockbuster name.
However, the Yankees do have a few alternative options they can call upon, notably Estevan Florial, Matt Carpenter, or Miguel Andujar.
The Yanks also watched Luis Severino leave Wednesday’s game in the 2nd inning with shoulder discomfort. Severino indicated he felt off when he woke up that morning. Luckily, the team’s offense was able to carry the load.