NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone has had to do a lot of lineup experimenting the last two months with most of his regulars on the injured list, and, shockingly, the likes of Gio Urshela, Mike Tauchman, Cameron Maybin and Thairo Estrada getting a bunch of playing time has led to a lot of winning. Boone has greatly enjoyed the Yanks not just weathering this major story, but playing their way to a 24-16 record that has them just a half-game off the pace in the AL East after they took two of three from the first-place Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend in St Petersburg, Fla. All along though, the Yankees patiently have been waiting – and craving – for their important injured pieces to return, and they’re getting one back on Monday with center fielder Aaron Hicks finally ready to begin his season after an early spring training lower back soreness led to an unexpected 2 ½-month absence. After playing five minor-league rehab games last weeks, Hicks was activated on Monday and is in the Yankees’ lineup for Monday night’s game at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., but expected rain could delay or postpone the game. The Yankees optioned Tauchman to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Hicks on the 25-man roster. Hicks’ return will move Brett Gardner back to left field and force Boone to decide who to play there. Will Gardner split time with Clint Frazier? Will Frazier get the majority of the time? Thus far, Frazier has been the better hitter this season, as he’s hitting .290 with six homers, 18 RBI and an .840 OPS in 93 at-bats over 25 games compared to Gardner’s .204 with six homers, 15 RBI and a .701 OPS in 137 at-bats over 38 games. Also, Hicks probably will be leading off most of the time, and that’ll drop fill-ins Gardner and second baseman DJ LeMahieu, a .333 hitter in 36 games, down in the lineup. Gardner and LeMahieu each led off 20 times in the Yanks’ first 40 games. Hicks returns after hitting just .167 in his rehab games, but he finished with a flurry, as he was 3-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, a walk and stolen base on Saturday playing center field for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a 5-1 win over Toledo. Before that, he was hitless in 14 at-bats playing three games with high-A Tampa (0-for-11, 3 K, 1 BB) and one for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (0-for-3, 1 K, 1 BB). With Hicks back, the Yanks still have 13 players on the injured list counting the two that were added on Monday: Right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga and third baseman Miguel Andujar. Loaisiga was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday and shut down for four weeks with a right shoulder strain, while Andujar is returning to the IL for the second time due to a tear in his right shoulder labrum. The Yanks have three regulars on the IL - right fielder Aaron Judge, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton and shortstop Didi Gregorius - plus No. 1 starter Luis Severino, No. 2 starter James Paxton and four-time All-Star reliever Dellin Betances. Also on the IR are first baseman Greg Bird, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery and reliever Ben Heller. The next to return? Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport, Ticketmaster It’s expected to be Paxton, who figures to be back this week or next week after going on the IL on May 4 with left knee inflammation. After Paxton, Stanton probably would be next to rejoin the Yankees. He’s been sidelined since April 1, initially with a left biceps strain and later with left shoulder soreness. Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.<doc-sep>The lineup card on the door at each end of the Yankees’ clubhouse contained a name that hadn’t been seen before in the team’s MRI-filled season. The No. 1 spot read like this: “Hicks 8” It was Game 41, the series opener against Baltimore on Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Hicks was activated from the injured list. His season was finally going to begin. “It feels good to finally be back with the team and playing again,” he said after arriving at the ballpark. But Hicks will have to wait a day to play again. The game was postponed because of unplayable field conditions after all the rain, so Opening Night for Hicks should come Tuesday instead. He's just happy his back is good to go. The 29-year-old switch hitter signed a seven-year, $70 million deal on Feb. 25, then went down with a lower-back strain on March 1. Hicks said it “started to feel really good” about three days after he received a second cortisone shot on March 17 and that “it’s been feeling good since.” Hicks said he has been told the back issue is chronic, so he has to stay on a new routine to try to prevent flare-ups, working on his core muscles and keeping his hips loose. Subscribe to Newsday’s sports newsletter Receive stories, photos and videos about your favorite New York teams plus national sports news and events. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. “I have a core exercise that I have to do every day now,” Hicks said. “It’s kind of one of those things that I have to maintain to get the results and make my body feel the way I want it to. “When I do my core exercises, my back feels good.” Asked about Hicks’ words regarding the chronic nature of his back situation, Aaron Boone said, “I think part of that is why it took a long time, really making sure he was built up properly …” Last season, Hicks’ third with the Yankees, was a breakthrough year, complete with 27 homers and 79 RBIs. “I feel like he’s one of the most underrated players in the game,” Boone said. “I mean, centerfielder with the plate discipline and power that he has at the plate, the speed he brings to the game. Just a really good all-around player, dynamic player and an impact player. So to get him back, we’re obviously very excited.” Hicks' rehab assignment lasted five games, three with high Class A Tampa and two with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He finally got his first hits in his finale Saturday — two doubles and a homer. “I was just being able to kind of recognize balls a little bit better,” he said of the trip to Triple-A. “Most importantly, I just kind of wanted to build some confidence.” Hicks has been on the DL or IL at least once in every season dating to his rookie year with Minnesota in 2013. “You kind of just come to accept it,” he said of being sidelined again. “It’s one of those things where when you’re hurt, you can’t really do much about it. So what’s the point of sulking about it and thinking what it could be when you don’t have that option?”<doc-sep>The 29-year-old Hicks had been dealing with lower back pain since March 1 and shut down during spring training. He had went through two rounds of cortisone shots, which helped a little. But his injury ultimately kept him from even doing baseball activities like hitting off a tee and doing soft toss until mid-April.<doc-sep>The return of New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks could not come at a more convenient time for the club. Once again, the New York Yankees get a key piece back. Per several sources, the team will activate outfielder Aaron Hicks off the injured list Monday. The switch-hitting center fielder had not played since early March due to a lower back strain. Hicks received two cortisone shots before starting baseball activities again last month. And the timing of this could not be any more perfect. The Yankees just took two of three from the first-place Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Starting Monday, the Bronx Bombers get three at home versus the lowly Baltimore Orioles before a weekend tilt against the Rays again, this time in their own, well-lit park. These games may not seem important but keep in mind, the Yankees are only a half-game behind Tampa Bay entering play on Monday. First place in the AL East is well within reach. That means if Aaron Hicks‘ bat is right, New York could not only be in a position to take over first place but also build a lead over rival teams. An Underrated Piece Over the past two seasons, Aaron Hicks very quietly had solid performances for the Yankees. Injuries limited him to just 88 games total in 2017, but he hit a career-high .266 and set new career marks with 15 home runs and 52 RBI. The injuries were concerning but considering Hicks only hit .217 in his first year with the Yankees, the bounceback was a pleasant surprise. Hicks followed up with another career year in 2018. He only hit .248 and missed time early with a strain in his ribs, but also slugged 27 homers with 79 RBI. Far too often in the past two seasons, Hicks emerged a hero with clutch home runs. All in all, Hicks posted a combined 8.2 WAR over those two seasons. He proved with regular playing time, he could become a lineup staple and reliable defender in the outfield. His career DRS of 10 and 11.6 UZR show just that. That was all the Yankees needed to see to offer him up a seven-year, $70 million extension at the start of spring training. Now, it’s time for Hicks to prove he’s worth the investment. In this case, the timing is absolutely perfect. A Walk In The Park To understand the timing of Aaron Hicks’ return, let’s take a look at the Yankees’ upcoming schedule. Eighteen total games remain in May, 10 of which are against last-place teams in the Kansas City Royals and the aforementioned Orioles. It just so happens when it comes to these two teams, Hicks’ career numbers are pretty solid. He is a .275 hitter with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 46 games against Baltimore. The numbers versus Kansas City are similar, as Hicks has hit .271 with seven homers and 19 RBI in 43 games against the Royals. Not only that, but Hicks coming back to the lineup signifies something of a return to normalcy for the Yankees. Star sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are still injured with no set timetables for a return. Sunday’s lineup featured only three players who were on last year’s Opening Day roster. This team needs some veteran power in the lineup, and Aaron Hicks should provide plenty of that upon his return. Lineup Balance Speaking of the Yankees’ lineup, Hicks also brings some much-needed variety. Consider this for a minute. The Yankees have just two left-handed hitters on the active roster right now: Brett Gardner and Mike Tauchman. That leaves a lineup so righty-heavy, you’d think the team was protesting Ned Flanders. Hicks, on the other hand, is a switch-hitter. This allows manager Aaron Boone to get creative with the lineup as opposed to just stacking righties because it’s all he has available. He could make Hicks the new cleanup hitter, or bat him third, sandwiched between dangerous behemoths Luke Voit and Gary Sanchez. The possibilities are truly endless. Final Thoughts The best news of all, however, is Aaron Hicks will finally be on the field this season. Injuries have ravaged the Yankees all year and though the team is in a strong position despite that, the fans deserve the best. No more should they have to hold their breath when anyone outside the top third of the order comes up to bat. Hicks’ return shows the team finally able to move away from that. The team is in a prime position to get back to its powerful ways starting with him, especially with some lighter competition on the horizon. Because little by little, bit by bit, piece by piece, the Yankees regulars are coming back. It may not seem like it, but the team is slowly returning to top form. With Aaron Hicks returning, here’s hoping the New York baseball we know and love does too.<doc-sep>
For the first time all season, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was able to write Aaron Hicks' name into the lineup as the leadoff hitter and the center fielder on Monday -- only to see his debut get pushed back. Instead, Hicks is expected to make his season debut Tuesday when the Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Hicks was activated off the injured list Monday before the scheduled game was postponed after a two-plus-hour delay due to rain and unplayable field conditions after water spilled into left field as the tarp was being removed. That game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader Wednesday. Hicks is returning after missing more than two months with a strained back and playing in five minor league rehab games. He was injured on March 1 -- shortly after signing a $70 million, seven-year extension -- and needed two cortisone shots during his recovery. The Yankees will be hoping to get the version of Hicks they saw last season. The switch-hitter set career highs with 27 homers and 79 RBIs while batting .248. He played in a career-high 137 games last season, but injuries have been a theme. Hicks has been on the injured list in each of his seven seasons, with 10 total stints on the IL. "I feel like he's one of the most underrated players in the game," Boone told reporters. "So to get him back, we're obviously very excited." Hicks is rejoining a team with 13 players on the injured list. Despite the injuries, the Yankees are 18-7 in their last 25 games after clinching a series in Tampa Bay with Sunday's 7-1 win. Baltimore endured its second straight lengthy delay Monday before the game was postponed. On Sunday, the Orioles endured a delay of nearly three hours and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The Orioles went 2-4 against the Yankees during their respectable 7-10 start to the season. At 14-26, Baltimore is two games better than it was through 40 games last season. Story continues Chris Davis hit one of Baltimore's four homers in Sunday's 5-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels, batting cleanup for the first time since Aug. 27. Davis is batting .290 with five homers and 15 RBIs since April 13 and was slated to bat cleanup again Monday. "I hope he continues to swing the bat the way he's been the last couple of weeks," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Monday afternoon. "I think his approach has been fantastic and I'm looking to see more good things." If Davis is in the lineup again Tuesday, he will face J.A. Happ, who is coming off his best outing of the season. Happ is 2-3 with a 4.36 ERA but on Thursday, he held the Seattle Mariners to one hit in five-plus innings of a 3-1 win. The left-hander is 7-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 22 career appearances (21 starts) against the Orioles. Happ allowed three home runs in 8 1/3 combined innings in two starts against Baltimore on March 31 and April 6. Andrew Cashner (4-1, 4.25) will start for Baltimore with a shot at surpassing win total from his 4-15 season in 2018. After giving up six runs in four innings of the season opener in New York on March 28, he was won four straight decisions. Cashner last pitched on Wednesday and allowed one run in six innings during a no-decision against Boston. The right-hander is 2-4 with a 4.01 ERA in eight career starts against the Yankees. --Field Level Media