The Yankees couldn’t enjoy their Opening Day win for long. The team announced on Friday afternoon that Aaron Hicks hit the 10-day disabled list with a strained right intercostal muscle. The club called up outfielder Billy McKinney from Triple-A to join the big league team in Hicks’ absence.
Hicks played in yesterday’s season opener, going 2-for-4 on the afternoon. He showed no visible signs of injury, nor was he removed from the game. I’m sure we’ll find out shortly when he first noticed any discomfort.
This injury hurts for a number of reasons. The Yankees lost their starting center fielder, and that’s a significant blow to any team. The Bombers also expected Hicks to have a big season at the plate. After flashing signs of brilliance last year, it was easy to imagine a situation where he would come into his own in 2018.
McKinney, 23, will now get his first taste of the big leagues. He hit .167/.340/.524 in Grapefruit League action. That’s seven total hits, but five of them were home runs. McKinney has legitimate power. He managed a .277/.338/.483 batting line with 16 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season.
It remains to be seen how the Yankees will configure their outfield now. Brett Gardner will take over center field duties — that’s the easy call. Left field then could be a rotation between Giancarlo Stanton, Tyler Wade, and McKinney. Aaron Boone has a few options with which to work.
This just goes to show that there’s no such thing as too much depth. Many expected the Yankees to move an outfielder over the winter. They kept them all, however, and that looks wise now. Clint Frazier remains sidelined with a concussion and Jacoby Ellsbury is working his way back from an oblique strain. That depth wears thin quickly.