ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Aaron Hicks’ nightmarish season continued Sunday, though not in the way you could visualize.
The slumping centre fielder went hitless once more, but in again-to-back again RBI cases, Hicks strike the ball challenging and nonetheless came up vacant.
He very first lined out to 3rd with two on and no a single out in the sixth and then ran into far more poor luck in the eighth.
With the Yankees down by two operates and Gleyber Torres on third, Hicks hit a screamer back up the middle, but Taylor Partitions, taking part in second foundation, designed a marvelous diving perform and toss to to start with for the last out.
“It was a good at-bat and a good enjoy,’’ Aaron Boone said.
It was the hottest in a string of tough video games for Hicks, who’s missed a great deal of time in modern seasons owing to a range of accidents.
And even nevertheless he was wholesome this time until eventually getting sidelined by correct hamstring tightness, hitting mentor Dillon Lawson reported he believes the deficiency of plate appearances because 2018 continues to have an impression.
“He’s making an attempt to get again to his typical self soon after getting in and out [of the lineup] in excess of the last several a long time for a single motive or another,” Lawson said. “Things modify even when you never indicate for them to. Your typical feels distinctive than it made use of to. We’re seeking to get him back to exactly where he was right before.”
It’s been a long time coming.
Immediately after finishing with a .627 OPS previous year prior to currently being shut down simply because of a torn sheath in his wrist, Hicks entered Sunday with a .577 OPS on the season with only two extra-foundation hits.
And he was just 14-for-87 with a double, four RBIs, 14 walks and 27 strikeouts in his earlier 29 games.
“We’re hunting back at what produced him, him,’’ Lawson said. “When he was hitting .270 with 25 residence operates and we’re seeking to get him back again to that.”
These days, Boone said he’s seen Hicks get absent from his usual solution.
“I truly feel like he’s pressed in specific scenarios,’’ Boone explained prior to the recreation. “Controlling the strike zone has been a hallmark by way of his vocation and at times [recently], he’s tried using to chase that strike a minor bit. That can get you in difficulty as a hitter. At times you want it so undesirable, you commence taking part in into the palms of the pitcher.”
Hicks experienced two multi-strike video games in his former 4 starts off prior to Sunday.
“The past few times before he sat out, we felt like he was obtaining far better,’’ Lawson reported. “There’s things to be excited about.”
He’s been far more productive as a ideal-handed hitter, with a .758 OPS in 42 plate appearances, but just .501 in 99 plate appearances from the left facet.
Batting as a righty against southpaw Shane McClanahan on Sunday, Hicks flied out to proper and struck out ahead of coming up with two on and no one particular out in the sixth.
He turned on a pitch, but lined it ideal to 3rd.
Over-all, Hicks is hitting the ball in the air a lot less than ever before and his exit velocity is down marginally.
“He has an expectation for himself and when he does not meet that, he will take it individually,’’ Lawson explained. “He’s gonna preserve operating. A large amount of individuals would shut down and give up, but he’s spending so much time in the video place and going over pregame info. He’s accomplishing more sessions in the cage to make certain he can sense right as before long as attainable.”
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