By WFAN.com
The Yankees will be without Aaron Hicks once the real games start too.
Hicks suffered a back injury at the beginning of March in a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles. He hasn't played since, and the team has now placed him on the disabled list, according to multiple reports.
This means that Hicks will miss opening day and at least the first three games of the season, also against the Orioles. He told ESPN that he hopes to return for the Yankees' second series of the season, when they face the Detroit Tigers.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone went along with that on Sunday when he told the media that the Yankees are being cautious with Hicks' injury and "just want to make sure this isn't something that lingers during the season." The San Pedro, California native has dealt with a couple injury issues before.
Hicks, who is 29-years-old, just signed a new seven-year, $70 million contract extension with the Yankees in February.
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The Yankees acquired Hicks in a November 2015 trade with the Minnesota Twins. He immediately brought top-notch defense to the team and has improved as a hitter since arriving in the Big Apple. Last season, Hicks batted .248, had a .366 on-base percentage and posted career highs in homers (27) and RBIs (79).
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