Yankees: Clint Frazier is ready to resume baseball activities

Yankees OF Clint Frazier battled a concussion for pretty much the entirety of the 2018 season after he collided into an outfield wall during Spring Training. He phoned into the Michael Kay show on Thursday and has revealed that he’s feeling better and he’s now ready to compete for a spot for the 2019 season.

You have to feel sorry for Frazier after what he went through a season ago. The first time he landed on the disabled list was from March 29, and then he was reinstated on May 2. He was then again placed on the disabled list on July 20th and never returned to the Yankees big league roster.

What makes this sad is that Frazier had numerous opportunities to play had he been healthy. Many of the Yankees outfielders were injured. Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the disabled list all season due to injuries and he ended the season with back surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Aaron Judge was placed on the disabled list due to his fractured right wrist. Aaron Hicks was injured after straining his left oblique. Billy McKinney also landed on the disabled list for 53 days after crashing into a wall ending up with a shoulder sprain injury prior to being traded in late July.

Judge, McKinney, and Hicks missed a combined of 115 games. Frazier could have had three or four months to play and make an impression. He ended up only playing in 15 games, hitting .265 with 1 RBI.

When the Yankees reactivated Frazier in early May from his concussion, he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was heating up in 48 games, slashing .311/.389/.574 with 10 HRs, 14 doubles, three triples, and 21 RBIs. He also scored 38 runs.

Clint phoned into Yankees Hot Stove on the YES Network Thursday stating that he’s feeling much better now and he’s ready to return to baseball. He also acknowledged that there will be competition and he will have to win his job:

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"“I’m feeling good,” Frazier told the YES Network on Thursday. “It’s been a long process, a process that is kind of a unique one to go through. I’m not used to feeling like I’m hungover every day. The way to beat it is to continue to do the workouts and push through the symptoms, and know that at the end of the tunnel you’re going to be better.”“I’ve been slowly hitting, throwing, working out,” Frazier said. “For the most part, I’m ramping up to start doing some overhand BP, just trying to get the timing right, get the facility work out. I’m pretty much full tilt whenever I’m ready to go.”“I know there is some time to be made back up to go out there and ultimately win that job, but everyone is well deserving,” Frazier said. “It’s just a matter of who’s probably hot at the time, what are the needs and overall how much we can help the team. I’m pretty confident in what I can do; go out there and play as hard as I can, and try to win that job and help the team.”"

I sincerely hope Frazier is back to his old self as he has so much potential to be an excellent boost to the lineup with his electric bat and style of play. Conor Foley of TheTimes-Tribune.com for Scranton tweeted a video on December 13 of Frazier back crushing baseballs.

If Frazier ends up healthy and produces, the Yankees’ may have no choice but to use him as a trade chip to use in a package for an ace starting pitcher around the trade deadline next season. The outfield is overcrowded as it is, so he may be the one to leave. Regardless, let’s just hope he makes a full recovery.