Hicks' wrist surgery could sideline him for '21

NEW YORK -- Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks is being scheduled for surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist, according to manager Aaron Boone. The procedure is potentially season-ending.

Hicks last played on May 12 and had been administered a course of anti-inflammatories in hopes of quelling the discomfort in his wrist. The 31-year-old is traveling to Scottsdale, Ariz., where Dr. Donald Sheridan will perform the procedure. Boone said that he expects Hicks to miss several months, saying that he’ll be out “a while.”

"There's obviously frustration there," Boone said. "He wants to be out there with his teammates competing. But he also understands that he's got to get this fixed and hopefully put this behind him so he's better moving forward."

Hicks has batted .194 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 32 games this year. According to Boone, Hicks has battled wrist issues over the last several seasons, and the injury does not seem to have occurred on any single play or swing.

"Who knows when this thing first happened -- whether it's been months, whether it's been years?" Boone said. "Every now and then something would flare up on him, but it usually went away. This time, it's continued to linger. I don't think he's in a lot of pain, but he definitely feels that when he's swinging. It doesn't allow him to swing the bat the way he needs to swing the bat. This is the next right step for Aaron."

Boone said that he envisions Brett Gardner continuing as the Yankees' center fielder in Hicks' absence. Boone also mentioned Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade as backup options, with Ryan LaMarre having landed on the injured list earlier this week and Yanks No. 10 prospect Estevan Florial gathering at-bats at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Delino DeShields has been discussed in trade talks between the Yankees and Rangers, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. DeShields can opt out of his Minor League contract if he is not added to Texas' big league roster by June 1.

Coaches return
Pitching coach Matt Blake and first-base/outfield coach Reggie Willits have returned to the Yankees' coaching staff after being quarantined early in the club's recent road trip due to positive COVID-19 tests. Boone said that a few support staff members have also rejoined the club for this homestand.

With Blake returning, bullpen coach Mike Harkey is returning to his usual duties. Harkey has been filling in as the pitching coach in Blake's absence.

"It's been different coming in after an outing and he's the first guy you talk to when you get in the dugout," said reliever Chad Green. "I'm glad the starters get to experience his personality, his insights on pitching and what he sees. He's watched some of the greats do it from a distance and the dugout, so it's great to get his perspective."

Scoreboard watching
Seeing Corey Kluber dismantle the Rangers on Wednesday evening, Gerrit Cole said he first started thinking about a no-hitter around the fifth inning, clocking the right-hander's efficient pitch count and a smattering of weak contact. Not everyone on the bench recognized there was history in the making, Cole said.

"There was a player that didn't realize that he was throwing a no-hitter and asked me if I thought that we could get straight to Chappy," Cole said, referring to closer Aroldis Chapman.

"I'm like, 'We're not going to go to Chappy tonight.' I was like, 'Look at the scoreboard. Look at the runs column, and then just look to the right of the runs column.' And he was like, 'Oh yeah, we're not going to Chappy tonight.' That's how the conversation went."

Cole declined to name the player, saying: "I’m not going to hose him. Come on.”

Bombers bits
• Frazier (stiff neck) “says he’s good to go and is ready to be in there” after receiving treatment, according to Boone. Frazier last played on Monday and was set to be examined by a doctor on Friday.

• According to Boone, Giancarlo Stanton (left quadriceps strain) continued to work out on Friday and remains on track to rejoin the Yankees when eligible on Tuesday.

This date in Yankees history
May 21, 1930: Babe Ruth rounded the bases for the only regular-season three-homer game of his Yankees career, a feat that he accomplished twice in the World Series and once at the end of his playing days with the Boston Braves. Ruth’s roundtrippers came in a 15-7 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics.