TAMPA — With Aaron Hicks out until June or possibly longer because of Tommy John surgery and Giancarlo Stanton questionable for Opening Day with a strained right calf, there is an avenue for Clint Frazier to be in Baltimore on March 26 when the Yankees start the season against the Orioles.
“Obviously coming into camp I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to try to win a spot on the team. A few things have happened since I got here to make that a little bit more attainable,’’ said Frazier, who homered in the first inning of the Yankees’ 7-1 win over the Rays on Thursday at Steinbrenner Field. “But I still have to finish the camp healthy, still have to go out there and perform and ultimately show them I might be able to play the position the way they want me to.’’
Having room for an extra player this year when rosters will go from 25 to 26 helps Frazier’s chances of sticking. If Stanton isn’t ready for the beginning of the season, Frazier could be part of a platoon in left field with Mike Tauchman.
“I like what I am seeing, I’ll say that. With Clint, I think we always sometimes in the past assumed negative on some of the work things, but the bottom line [is] he has always worked, always done a lot of good things,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “He has had some bumps along the way, but I have never questioned how hard he has worked at things. But I will say there has been a real level of focus and professionalism and early on he is getting good results, obviously, but I would say he is in a really good place physically, mentally and how he is approaching things.’’
Helping Frazier get results is a stance he brought with him from the offseason. Taking advice from former Yankees teammate Matt Holliday, Frazier is turning his left toes toward the plate, pointing his back left pocket at the pitcher and barely raising his left cleats out of the dirt.
“A lot of times people talk about my bat speed,’’ Frazier said. “It was always there, but it felt like shoot a gun with it on safety. There were things that were stopping along the way and it didn’t fire the way I wanted it to. I think this move is the best chance to let that play.’’
During the 25-year-old Frazier’s three years with the Yankees, he has shown flashes of the player drafted with the fifth pick in the 2013 draft by the Indians and swapped for Andrew Miller in 2016.
A concussion in spring training of 2018, however, was tough to shake and he hasn’t always said the right thing at the right time.
With Hicks out for possibly three months, Stanton not doing anything for two weeks and Aaron Judge still being brought along slowly with a right shoulder problem, Frazier has his best chance at sticking on the roster.