Aaron Hicks OF FA Sun 6/21/20 2:05 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Hicks (elbow) said he'll be ready to play if the MLB season resumes in July, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Before MLB suspended its season in mid-March, Hicks was on track to open the campaign on the injured list while he continued to recover for the Tommy John surgery he required last October. With the season on hiatus for more than three months, however, Hicks has been able to make ample progress in his rehab without missing any games, putting him on track to be an option for the Yankees if or when Opening Day arrives. Hicks told King that in addition to taking batting practice without incident for the past two months, he's at about "80 percent" of the way through his throwing program, with the 30-year-old having pushed up his throwing distance to 160 feet. Assuming the Yankees are satisfied with where he stands on the health front and commit to Hicks as the club's everyday center fielder in 2020, Mike Tauchman and Clint Frazier look to be most at risk of losing out on steady at-bats, especially if Aaron Judge (ribs) is also ready to go at some point in July.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Tue 5/19/20 11:39 AM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Hicks (elbow) took batting practice Monday, SportsNet New York reports.
EDGE Analysis
General manager Brian Cashman said less than a week earlier that Hicks had resumed taking dry swings, so his ability to take BP represents another step forward in his recovery from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in October. Hicks is expected to be ready to at least serve as a designated hitter when the season resumes, and Cashman suggested that the 30-year-old is a "legit option" to reclaim his normal duties in center field at some point during the summer.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Thu 5/14/20 11:56 AM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that Hicks (elbow) has advanced to taking dry swings in addition to taking part in a throwing program, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
The organization is seemingly pleased with how Hicks is bouncing back from the Tommy John surgery he required for his right elbow in October, with Cashman noting that the 30-year-old is a "legit option" to reclaim his everyday role in center field at some point during the summer. Hicks should continue to gradually increase the distance of his throws and intensity of his batting work on his own in the weeks to come before the Yankees are cleared to resume full-squad workouts.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Tue 5/5/20 4:09 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that Hicks (elbow) has been throwing long toss from 90-plus feet and hitting soft-toss pitching from both sides of the plate.
EDGE Analysis
Hicks is at about the six-and-a-half-month mark in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, a procedure that the Yankees estimated would sideline him for 8-to-10 months. With that timeline in mind, Hicks is seemingly on track to gain clearance for game action as soon as early July, potentially giving him an outside shot at cracking the Yankees' Opening Day roster depending on when Major League Baseball elects to begin its season. The eventual returns of Hicks and Aaron Judge (ribs) from the injuries that sidelined them throughout spring training will likely translate to more limited at-bats for the likes of Mike Tauchman, Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Mon 4/13/20 6:50 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Hicks (elbow) has started swinging, in addition to throwing, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
EDGE Analysis
He is working out in Arizona and has advanced in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. It was reported in early March that Hicks was targeting a return in June or July, so depending on when play resumes, he may not miss much time at all. This would give the Yankees a pretty crowded outfield, especially if Aaron Judge (rib) is able to recover as well.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Wed 3/25/20 6:32 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Hicks (elbow) is working through his throwing program with a physical therapist in Arizona, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Boone indicated the 30-year-old was in the early stages of the throwing program last week, and he will continue ramping up over the coming weeks. Hicks underwent Tommy John surgery in October and could be fully cleared in June or July, with the delayed start to the regular season potentially allowing him to miss fewer games he would under normal circumstances.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Fri 3/20/20 1:00 AM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
HIcks (elbow) is in the early stages of a throwing program and remains in line for a summer return, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Hicks underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of October and was originally expected to miss the first few months of the campaign. While a return in June or July remains feasible, the 30-year-old could log more games than anticipated this season due to the delay to the start of the regular season.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Sun 3/1/20 2:02 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Hicks (elbow) could realistically be ready to make his season debut for the Yankees in June or July, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.
EDGE Analysis
Boone said that while everything is "going to plan so far" in the outfielder's recovery from Tommy John surgery, Hicks will remain on a rehab timeline similar to the one former Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius required for the elbow procedure he had in October 2018. In that instance, Gregorius was able to make his 2019 debut in early June, so Hicks looks like he'll need at least seven months of rehab before he's activated from the injured list. While Hicks is on the mend for the first few months of the season, Mike Tauchman and Brett Gardner should see the majority of the starts in center field.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Fri 2/21/20 1:40 AM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Hicks (elbow) is hoping to be throwing by the end of spring training, Mike Rosenstein of NJ Advance Media reports.
EDGE Analysis
Hicks underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of October following an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he played only 59 games. Although he has set his sights on beginning a throwing regimen, it will be the first step in a recovery process that will then progress to hitting and other baseball activities. August remains a reasonable return target for the 30-year-old.
Aaron Hicks OF FA Thu 10/31/19 12:43 PM
Aaron Hicks
OF FA
Hicks (elbow) underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday.
EDGE Analysis
Hicks was sidelined for most of the second half of 2019, but returned for the ALCS in October. The 30-year-old will likely be sidelined until around August, and it's unclear who will fill his role in center field, although Brett Gardner could be an option if the team is able to re-sign him. Hicks hit .235/.325/.443 with 12 home runs and only one stolen base in 59 games played last season.