Yankees' Aaron Hicks 'dodged a bullet' with tight left hammy
Yankees centerfielder Aaron Hicks is called safe at first during the third inning of a game against the Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday. Credit: Getty Images/Joseph Garnett Jr.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Aaron Boone said the Yankees “dodged a bullet” with Aaron Hicks. The centerfielder left Monday night’s game with tightness in his left hamstring but an MRI taken Tuesday came back clean.
“There was no grade strain or anything in there, which was good news,” Boone said. “He’s still a little bit tight in there, so it’s kind of a day-to-day thing. I would expect him to be down today and perhaps for a couple days we’ll stay away from him. But we do feel like we dodged a bullet.”
After Monday night’s game Hicks said he had been dealing with hamstring tightness since the weekend, so Boone was concerned until getting the MRI news.
“Anytime you’re talking calf, groin, hamstring…those injuries can linger and get worse and stuff,” Boone said. “So the fact that we got some clearance from the imaging was nice and that he fell all right today was encouraging.”
Torres a scratch
Gleyber Torres initially was in Boone’s Tuesday lineup, but the manager changed his mind and decided to reverse course and start Neil Walker.
Torres missed 15 games from July 4-24 with a right hip strain and Boone said the rookie felt “a little bit of tightness” in the area.
“I was planning on giving him a day off one of these days, especially on the turf,” Boone said. “I just decided, talking it through, ‘let’s just do it tonight and plan on going with you the next two days.’ Thought it was the smart thing to do. I don’t think it’s a big deal. He felt he could have played.”
More progress for Didi
Didi Gregorius, who suffered torn cartilage in his right wrist Saturday but declared Monday his intent to be back before the end of the regular season, took grounders (but did not throw) on Tuesday.
“It’s better than yesterday, so it’s a good sign,” Gregorius said.
