NEW YORK — Aaron Hicks wasn’t in the Yankees’ starting lineup against the Giants on Sunday. The day before, manager Aaron Boone had given him a heads up that he would be on the bench. So, he wasn’t surprised to see Isiah Kiner-Falefa — a career infielder — getting his first major-league game in center field, a position that Hicks has played for most of his career. It was the team’s third game of the year and Hicks hadn’t started in any of them.
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“I have no idea what my role is,” Hicks told The Athletic on Sunday morning. “It’s kind of uncertain.”
Is that difficult for Hicks?
“I mean, yeah,” he said. “I just want to play. I don’t want to come off the bench and face closers all day. I want to play the field, I want to play everyday, and it’s just what I want to do. I want to start. I really don’t know what else to say.”
At his pregame press conference, Boone said that Hicks’ role would be “a little of everything.”
“He’s going to play,” Boone said. “Today was just not necessarily the matchup I love. I would probably expect him to be in there the next couple of days.”
Sunday Matinee in the Bronx.pic.twitter.com/PAQ3VhTErL
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 2, 2023
Hicks, 33, entered spring training with his job in question. He was in competition for the left field starting job with Oswaldo Cabrera, who took over the role late last regular season amid Hicks’ struggles despite Cabrera being a career infielder to that point. Hicks ended spring training with just about as many reps in left field as anybody, but Cabrera has started all three games at the position to start the season. The Yankees only began giving Kiner-Falefa — last year’s starting shortstop — game reps in center field on March 17 and they liked what they saw.
“Athleticism,” Boone said of what Kiner-Falefa brings to center field. “His work in some of the game action very much looked the part. Now, it’s about going out and doing it and getting that experience in games. But I think skill-wise here, he has the ability to do it and do well.”
Kiner-Falefa was put into the lineup at center field for Sunday after star slugger Aaron Judge played there for the first two games of the season. Judge was moved to right field. With starting center fielder Harrison Bader (oblique) expected to be on the injured list for at least another few weeks, the Yankees may use Judge at the position more often than they had hoped going into the spring. Giancarlo Stanton, who had started in right field the first two games, moved to designated hitter.
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Hicks received his first at-bat of the season in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 7-5 loss to the Giants. He struck out against Giants closer Camilo Doval.
Last season, Hicks struggled, hitting just .216 with eight home runs and a .641 OPS in 130 games. It was his first time playing more than 100 games in a season since 2018 due to various injuries. He still has three years and $30.5 million on his contract.
Boone said the Yankees still believe Hicks can man left field and center field.
“He’ll play even though he hasn’t been in the lineup these first few,” Boone said. “It was kind of the last two days, didn’t love that matchup. But likely in there the next two days.”
Hicks said that “if you would have told me (in spring training) that I wouldn’t have started the first three games, I wouldn’t have believed you. But it is what it is. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Just sit around and wait for my opportunity and try my best.”
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)