Yankees deserve criticism over delayed Aaron Hicks MRI

The New York Yankees have had to claw back into the AL East race after an egregiously slow start caused by a power outage from one of the most hyped-up lineups in the game.

The play of Aaron Hicks clearly had something to do with it, as he was completely neutralized in the early part of the season.

Hicks has not started the season very well at the dish, as he is hitting just .194 with four home runs while posting an OPS+ of 82.

After four straight seasons with an OPS+ better than an average of 100, it becomes clear that Hicks, like many Yankees right now, is not seeing the ball very well.

The Yankees were counting on Hicks potentially reverting to the old Hicks, a player that can come up with a clutch second-deck blast and back up his play at the plate by nailing a runner at third base with a scorching throw. However, his injury woes might make that tough.

Hicks was held out of the lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays today due to wrist soreness. Aaron Boone said that his left wrist had been feeling sore for the last couple of days, which ended up forcing him into this MRI.

Aaron Hicks’ injury came at a bad time for the Yankees.

The Yankees do have a replacement ready-made for him in Brett Gardner, but that isn’t the big issue. The issue is the fact that Hicks has been complaining about this wrist for days. Considering what a tenuous situation the Yankees currently find themselves in, this Hicks situation should’ve been taken care of sooner.

Clint Frazier still can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat, Luke Voit is being eased back into the lineup with extreme caution, and Gleyber Torres is one of at least eight members of this roster and coaching staff to test positive for COVID-19. With all of this chaos, you’d think they wouldn’t risk a further injury by potentially messing up Hicks.

The Yankees are wise to take a very cautionary approach to this whole Hicks dilemma now, but this could’ve been done a few days earlier and potentially saved a worse injury. Boone and the squad need to hope that the MRI doesn’t reveal anything beyond that initial discomfort.

Hicks might be struggling right now, but leading on Gardner and Frazier as two-thirds of the outfield right now while calling up a less-heralded player is not the recipe for success Cashman or Boone envisioned.

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