A furious post-game conversation didn’t do the trick over the weekend, so on Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone introduced a new lineup to spark the Yankees.
Aron Hicks, Clint Frazier and Ragnad Odor were replaced by Brett Gardner, Mike Tutchman and Mike Ford, who are starting at first base against the Atlanta Braves at The Bronx. Ford was called from the alternate site to replace the recently retired Jay Bruce on the roster.
And Boone added Hicks could be out again Wednesday.
“Maybe take a step back for a few days and do some work and make the adjustments that he wants to make,” Boone said. “I am taking it day by day. The bottom line is, if we are the team we hope for, Aaron Hicks is going to be right in the middle of that and play a very big role for us. Frankly, nothing has changed in my mind as he is one of those people who has got off to a slow start and will benefit from one day and possibly two. I will see where i am [Wednesday]”
With the Yankees facing Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton, the moves were hardly unexpected, as Hicks and Frazier have struggled throughout the season and the Yankees were looking for more leftie baits.
But they were important nonetheless, as Frazier is now clearly in a leftie-right platoon with Gardner and switch-hit Hicks, who were seen as the No. 3 hitter at the start of the season, but fell out of favor. Was.
Both Hicks and Frazier had plenty of days in the outfield due to their loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, a defeat that led the Yankees to five games and forced general manager Brian Cashman to speak out in support of his team – and Boone Monday on holiday.
The addition of Teakman in left field, with Gardner at center, addresses some of the Yanks’ defensive woes and gives them more momentum in a lineup that hasn’t done anything good in the early weeks of the regular season.
Gleiber Torres stayed at shortstop, DJ Lemahieu in second place and Ford on first and Odor on the bench.
