Solid start a good sign for Yankees' Aaron Hicks

While most players were stuck in painful stasis last December – the result of the long-expected lockout – Aaron Hicks was in the Dominican Republic, anticipating the moment he could play in games back in New York. And when shortened spring training finally started in March, Hicks was there in Tampa, telling Aaron Boone he could man leftfield if he was needed there, and asking for extra at-bats even in games he wasn’t scheduled to play.

There’s no doubt fans have have reason to be disappointed in Hicks. After signing a seven-year, $70 million extension ahead of the 2019 season, the switch-hitting centerfielder has been a negligible factor in the Yankees lineup, battling injury after injury, playing in just 145 games in that three-year span, and most recently undergoing a wrist injury that ended his season last May. He was hitting .194 before the injury.

But this new season, one where Hicks looks reinvigorated and determined, has already provided a glimpse of what the Yankees could have on their hands if he can stay healthy.

Going into Wednesday night’s game against the Blue Jays, Hicks, who’s now better protected hitting lower in the lineup, has recorded a hit in all four games he’s appeared in. And though it's true that going 4-for-13 with three walks over four games isn’t exactly a reason to throw a parade, having a healthy, capable, switch-hitting everyday player sure is.

“I feel like he’s finding his way but that’s the good thing about it,” Boone said Tuesday. “He’s getting on base, he’s getting his hits. It’s really good to see him go the other way righthanded. That’s something that’s in his game… he’s worked really hard in the winter, going to play winter ball, to physically get himself ready.”

In the Yankees' 4-0 win Tuesday night over the Blue Jays, Hicks hit an opposite-field, two-run homer that just squeaked in over the wall in right. Hicks said after that he didn’t think he got all of it, but that’s the beauty of a 314-foot short porch – not quite getting “all” of a ball can still count, and if Hicks can do that routinely from both sides of the plate, he'll be able to rack up more respectable numbers. After all, he did hit 27 home runs with 79 RBIs in 2018 – a level of production the Yankees will more than take from the seven hole.  

“It's big,” Boone said before Wednesday night's game. “The guy’s in center most days, so to have a guy that’s not only a contributor but have an impact as a switch hitter offensively playing that position is huge. You’ve seen Aaron put together long stretches of being a really consistent guy that gets on base and he’s off to a good start that way and we just want to make sure it continues. Look, any time you can have a guy that’s experienced some injuries and had a bit of lost year last year, you feel like a return to form, a return from what we’ve seen him capable of, that’s large.”

Of course, fans have been down this road before: Hicks has always been considered a player with potential, the issue is having his body live up to the rigors of the game. Hicks is no doubt aware of that, and he said he used his time in the Dominican Republic to test himself. It was only two weeks, and he went 13-for-49 with a homer, nine RBIs, four walks, two stolen bases and 10 strikeouts. Other than that, though, he's trying not to think too much about proving himself.

“I’m just trying to go out there and play right now – just play and just enjoy the moment and enjoy what I’m doing and take it day by day,” he said. “I’m not really trying to do too much but going to play in the DR really helped out a lot…I felt really comfortable when I was playing in the DR so now, I’m playing my first couple of games and I feel good.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.