Aaron Hicks didn’t have to listen to more and more boos from Yankees fans on Saturday, but manager Aaron Boone was likely to say a few things.
The season-long struggles of Hicks culminated in a disastrous performance Friday night in the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Rays. As a result, manager Aaron Boone decided to sit Hicks out of the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Rays, which the Yankees won 10-3. Boone also stated that he would have a conversation with the outfielder.
I have not [talked to Hicks] yet, but I will circle up with him and just get him prepared as best we can to be a contributor, Boone said before the Yankees’ victory Saturday in The Bronx.
On Friday, Hicks was taken out of the game after making a pair of errors in the fourth inning, which led to the team’s decision to pull him. After the errors, the home crowd took out their anger on the left fielder by booing and screaming at him.
Hicks, who had previously been unsuccessful in both of his at-bats on Friday night, dropped a fly ball hit by Wander Franco that was headed down the left-field line. Hicks was slow to pick up the ball again because he believed it to be a foul, and then he threw it back in too late, which allowed two Rays to score and Franco to advance to second base.
Randy Arozarena was the next batter, and he hit a line drive that went over Hicks’ head. He claimed that he was disoriented during what ended up being an RBI double.
After hearing the “Joey Gallo” taunts, Hicks was out of the game one inning later. When asked on Saturday if he would play Hicks again at home in this series, Boone responded with “we’ll see,” and then proceeded to leave Hicks on the bench for the decisive victory.
Both Miguel Andujar and Oswaldo Cabrera were given the starting nod in their respective outfield positions by Boone. The duo combined to go 4-for-8 with three runs batted in. According to the manager, the fact that Hicks has “become that target” from the other players is making it more difficult for him to get back on track.
Hopefully this is something that you get to that point where you get through it, and it doesn’t bother you — it doesn’t get to you, Boone said of Hicks, who is 2-for-21 in his past seven games, bringing his season OPS down to .622. You just gotta do your job and hopefully, this is something that helps in that process of getting him there.
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