New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks will miss the team’s opening series against the Baltimore Orioles because of a lingering back injury, according to ESPN’s Cole Harvey.
Hicks, who agreed to a seven-year, $70 million contract extension in February, told Harvey on Sunday that he expected to be in the lineup for the following series against the Detroit Tigers. He also said he received a second cortisone shot on Sunday.
The series against the Orioles begins on March 28, Opening Day. The series against the Tigers starts on April 1.
Hicks, 29, is a switch-hitter coming off of a career season.
He had 27 home runs with 79 RBIs and scored 90 runs in 2018.
Hicks was acquired from the Minnesota Twins in 2015. In his three seasons with the Yankees, he has played in 348 games and hit 50 home runs.
Among all MLB outfielders over the past two seasons (2017-18), Hicks’ 8.2 WAR (FanGraphs) ranks 12th, including sixth among centerfielders.
In 2018, Hicks was the everyday centerfielder for the Yankees, but he also has wrestled with injuries, landing on the injured list four times in three seasons with the team.