Yankees Universe held its collective break earlier this week when Clint Frazier slammed into the left field wall chasing down a fly ball in a spring training game, but Frazier was in the lineup on Thursday, and assured everyone that he was feeling just fine.
“It wasn’t as bad as I think people think,” Frazier said in a Zoom call with reporters on Thursday. “I just went out to try and catch the ball and hit the wall pretty hard. But I feel fine right now, was obviously able to play in the game. So it’s not a concern. I’m not any more at risk hitting the wall than anyone else out there. I feel like I’m pretty resilient, so I feel good today.”
Frazier, who missed time in 2018 after a similar collision with the outfield wall in a spring training game, understands the heightened concern around him due to that recent past, which resulted in a concussion that didn’t relent until after the 2019 season, and hopes to prevent himself from being in situations like that again when it’s avoidable.
“Going forward, I’m hoping to avoid causing people some anxiety for a play like that, but it’s not going to stop me from playing hard,” Frazier said. “I just have to play smart and try to be a little more aware of my surroundings at all times.”
The concussion symptoms from Frazier’s 2018 collision appeared to dramatically impact his fielding ability, which he alluded to when he finally began to feel like himself again, and now that Frazier figures to be the starting left fielder for the Yankees in 2021, staying healthy and on the field is as important as ever. For Frazier, that means making some changes.
He began working on those changes immediately after the collision, taking fly balls from Yankees coach Reggie Willits.
“I texted Reggie later in the day after the Lakeland game and just told him I need to get better and need to continue to work out there,” Frazier said.
The duo worked on Frazier’s first step towards the outfield wall, hoping a better jump will help him track down a fly ball at the wall rather than rushing towards the wall to make a running grab. With Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge both trying to fend off their own recent injury narratives, Frazier hopes incidents like the collision in Lakeland aren’t frequent, though he will brace for impact if it becomes a necessity.
“I think it happens from time to time,” Frazier said. “I do think it’s avoidable at times, but sometimes it’s not. I think for me, the biggest thing I have to do is make sure when I get my read, I’m really aggressive at the beginning of it rather than drifting and causing myself to not be able to look up and be aware of where I’m at. But I want to play hard and play smart at the same time. It’s a work in progress to say the least.”
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