The Yankees reinstated Gerrit Cole from the COVID IL on Monday, but also offered some less positive injury news: the team returned outfielder Clint Frazier from his rehab assignment, and transferred him to the 60-day injured list.
Frazier, who has been out since July 2, began a rehab assignment at Low-A Tampa last Tuesday, and went 2-for-4 in his lone game there. He moved up to Double-A Somerset on Friday and was 2-for-6 in two games there, but was scratched from Sunday’s lineup for an unknown reason, and Patriots manager Julio Mosquera simply said “nope” when asked after the game if he could explain why.
However, on Monday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that Frazier pulled himself because he was “not feeling right,” something the skipper was glad to see.
"A good decision for him, knowing he wasn't full bore ready to go, and I'm glad he had the courage to pull the plug on it," Boone said. "He didn't feel like he was good enough to post, and we applaud him for making that decision."
Frazier has hit .186 with five home runs and 15 RBI in 66 games with the Yankees this year, but exited July 1’s game after complaining of dizziness. He was placed on the IL the next day with what the team officially called vertigo at the time, but that was later ruled out.
The Yankees also said they don’t believe Frazier’s issues were connected to his 2018 concussion, and after the outfielder met with a neurological specialist in Michigan, manager Aaron Boone said he though Frazier may have changed his contact lenses, and was given neck exercises.
However, after three games and less than a week of action, Frazier has been shut down, and will now be ineligible to return until August 31 - with wonder if maybe he'll be able to return at all.
"We'll see; he's seen a lot of people and gone through a lot of testing, and we'll try and continue to follow and support him where we can," Boone said. "I know he feels well today, but we'll see."
The Yankees acquired Joey Gallo prior to the trade deadline and added Jonathan Davis on waivers recently, so the team has plenty of depth even without Frazier and the also-injured Miguel Andujar – and earlier this month, even Boone noted that the Yankees weren’t sure when he would be able to return, or what condition he would be in when he did.
“We know what Frazier is capable of and his talent,” Boone said of his impending return. “But that’s so far down the line, the first thing is him going out and playing. It’s been a while and he needs to get playing and games under his belt again. That’s a ways off to even think about yet.”
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