Aaron Hicks leaves Yankees - Blue Jays game with left leg cramp

Take a deep breath, everyone. When Aaron Hicks left Saturday afternoon’s game, it was easy to fear the worst. Reports now indicate that the switch-hitter departed with leg cramps. Clint Frazier came on in the fifth inning to play left field as Brett Gardner moved over to center.

Hicks, 28, is hitting .259/.359/.523 with 16 home runs on the season. He became the source of Yankees fans’ hatred earlier this year, but his play of late silenced the critics. He finished June with the second best slugging percentage in the league, trailing only Nelson Cruz. His most recent strong performance came yesterday, when he slugged a home run and drew a bases loaded walk against the Blue Jays.

Should Hicks need a few days off, Frazier can fill in. He’s already on the roster and it shouldn’t be complicated. If it becomes a situation where Hicks requires a trip to the disabled list, however, then Brian Cashman will find himself in a conundrum. Frazier figures to be one of the Yankees’ most attractive trade chips this summer. It will be tough to acquire an impact pitcher without Red Thunder in the package.

We’ll have more on this as the situation develops. For now, it seems like the Yankees dodged a bullet.