Ex-Yankees OF Clint Frazier Off to Familiar, Unlucky Start with Cubs

Frazier’s health has hindered him in the Windy City, and his production has been minimal.

Clint Frazier’s pinstripes are now royal instead of navy, and his fiery red hair is accentuated by a beard. These little details have changed since the 27-year-old became a Cub, yet his first season in Chicago has been reminiscent of his time with the Yankees in the sense that unlucky health and poor numbers have led to a disappointing campaign thus far.

Frazier, released by New York in November, is slashing .216/.356/.297 for the Cubs, who signed the outfielder to a one-year deal before the lockout. Frazier has yet to hit a home run, and he has one RBI entering Chicago’s weekend series in the Bronx. However, he’s been limited to 19 games and 45 plate appearances after battling appendicitis earlier this season.

Frazier underwent surgery on April 22 and wasn’t activated until May 28 following an eight-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa.

“I feel like I’ve had a lot of injuries in my career that have been weird baseball injuries,” Frazier said in mid-May, per The Des Moines Register. “Like, concussions aren’t very common in baseball. And then my appendix goes. I just want to get on the field and not be hampered by these injuries that are pretty hard to get over.”

Frazier suffered multiple concussions with New York, with whom he played for from 2017-2021. Prior to this season, he admitted to hiding his second concussion, which happened in September 2020, from the Yankees.

“I knew what would happen if I didn’t play,” Frazier told NBC Sports Chicago in March.

But Frazier hit just .186/.317/.317 over 66 games in 2021 as effects from the concussion lingered. Named the starting left fielder in spring training, he ultimately pulled himself from a game on June 30. It would be his last appearance with the Yankees.

New York initially placed Frazier on the injured list with what the team called vertigo, but that was eventually ruled out. Frazier experienced issues with his vision and dizziness and saw specialists. He appeared in three minor league rehab games in August before his season was shut down. And thus, a once-promising but lightning-rod Yankees career came to an end.

“I don’t think people really understand what it’s like until you experience it yourself,” Frazier told NBC. “People would say, ‘Oh, he’s just having a headache.’ It’s not a headache. Your quality of life is certainly hindered whenever you go through a brain injury.”

In addition to an unfortunate bill of health, Frazier often drew undesired attention in New York.

Acquired as a prospect in the 2016 trade that sent Andrew Miller to Cleveland, Frazier arrived with high expectations after Brian Cashman dubbed his bat speed “legendary.” But there were also news cycles about the length of Frazier’s hair and him reportedly asking for Mickey Mantle’s retired No. 7, which he denied doing. Frazier took issue with Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay criticizing him for missing time with a concussion in 2018 and caught flack for ducking reporters following multiple defensive mishaps in 2019. When Frazier did speak to reporters a few days later in 2019, he volunteered that he felt coverage of him had been unfair and that he’s struggled to fit in his whole life.

On Thursday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone downplayed the idea that controversy held Frazier back in New York. “I mean, I don't know. Ultimately, I think just missing time and missing a lot of opportunities to really establish himself at this level,” were the reasons why things didn’t work out, the skipper said.

Frazier, meanwhile, told the Chicago Sun-Times, “A lot of it is hard to really look at and understand where it went wrong at times,” prior his return to Yankee Stadium. He also joked about some of his Yankees tenure stories after joining the Cubs.

“Here's to leaving my razor at home,” he wrote in one December tweet.

“I'll be continuing to wear #77 as well — I requested #7 but unfortunately it was taken, marking that as the first time I ever asked for that number,” he added in a follow-up.

When a fan responded to Frazier’s tweets by saying he was glad the outfielder was no longer a Yankee, Frazier replied, “So am I.”

Now Frazier has his first opportunity to play against his old team. As he does, he’s once again looking to rebound from a rough stretch.

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