Aaron Hicks was prepared to hit and throw indoors Monday because the right intercostal problem that landed him on the DL felt better.
“I am going to see the [doctor] for the OK,’’ Hicks said after the Rays-Yankees game was snowed out at Yankee Stadium. “Feeling good.’’
Hicks played Opening Day in Toronto on Thursday and landed on the DL Friday. He is eligible to come off the shelf next Monday, which is an off day for the Yankees. So, the earliest the switch hitter could return is April 10 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The Yankees could certainly use their starting center fielder back as soon as possible because Jacoby Ellsbury remains on the DL with an oblique issue suffered in early March and Billy McKinney went on the shelf Sunday with a sprained left (throwing) shoulder.
Aaron Boone played Giancarlo Stanton in left field Sunday against the Blue Jays, which could be the plan until Ellsbury or Hicks returns.
Boone didn’t have an update on Ellsbury on Monday, but Sunday the manager said he was hopeful of getting Ellsbury back Thursday, when he is eligible, but “not expecting it.’’
Four games into a season isn’t enough time to form an opinion on the players who are hitting or the ones who aren’t.
Yet, that’s all the canvas provides, and since the name on the table is Aaron Judge, it gets noticed. Judge is 3-for-15 this season with six strikeouts, has hit into three double plays and walked twice. In his previous three games against the Blue Jays, Judge went 1-for-11.However, those numbers don’t bug Boone.
“I think he is real close. I thought Toronto pitched him really tough,’’ Boone said Monday. “A lot of those pitches they got him on were perfectly executed pitches. He is still finding his way on base.’’
Boone pointed out the data is smaller than the routine small sample.
“I would say not a small sample, but an extremely small sample size,’’ he said of his No. 2 hitter. “I think he is good. I think he is real close. Even though he didn’t light it on fire the first weekend he still manages to get on base.’’
According to Boone, Adam Warren said his right ankle “feels pretty good’’ and the hope is the right-handed reliever will be able to pitch Tuesday against the Rays if needed.
“When I checked on him this morning he said it felt pretty good, so we will see,’’ Boone said.
Warren was forced out of Saturday’s game when he took a smash off the ankle.
The Yankees voided the minor league option of right-hander Ben Heller and placed him on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 27, with a right elbow bone spur.