Aaron Hicks Expected to Miss Rest of Season With Wrist Injury

New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks is expected to miss the rest of the 2021 season with a left wrist injury. Hicks underwent surgery on a torn sheath

NEW YORK — It was always a possibility when Aaron Hicks hurt his left wrist and learned he needed surgery. Now, it's the expectation.

Hicks will likely miss the rest of the 2021 season after undergoing left wrist surgery, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed on Thursday afternoon.

The center fielder has a torn sheath in his wrist and his subsequent rehab—four-to-six months from now—should take him into the offseason.

"It looks like it's gonna cost him the year," Boone said. "This is definitely not something that you want to rush back from. So it's my understanding that it'll probably spill into the offseason."

If Hicks does in fact miss the remainder of this season, he'll finish the year with 32 games played. Hicks hit .194 (21-for-108) with four home runs, 13 runs scored and 30 strikeouts in that span.

This isn't the first time the switch-hitter will finish the season with a frustratingly low number of games played. Over six seasons with the Yankees, Hicks is averaging just over 82 games per season, appearing in 100-plus contests only twice. 

In his place, barring any trades to acquire an additional outfielder, New York will lean on veteran Brett Gardner heavily in center field. The Yankees' longest-tenured player has been in the lineup practically every game since Hicks went down earlier this month.

Boone alluded to giving Clint Frazier a shot in center in the future, a position the outfielder played in the minor leagues. New York also promoted prospect Estevan Florial on Thursday for a doubleheader, but that could be a short-term move with a need for a position player on the bench.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.