The Baltimore Orioles have officially placed veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. The former New York Yankees outfielder injured himself after a fantastic diving play in center field during Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“#RT Risking it all for the love of the game. Catch me on the field, diving for glory and leaving it all out there. Unfortunately, sometimes that means taking a hit. But I’ll always bounce back stronger #AaronHicks #BaseballLife #InjuredButNotDefeated” – @ESPSWINGLIKEPRO
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During the game, Aaron Hicks was forced to leave with what the club was calling a “cramp”, however, upon further examination, it revealed that the 33-year-old had strained his hamstring. While it is a disappointing update, there is a possibility that he will only require a minimum stay on the IL.
Hicks will first be eligible to be activated from the 10-day IL on August 4th, however, given his age and the club’s current injury situation, they may not want to rush him back before he is 100%.
“Cedric Mullins heads to the injured list again” – @TalkinBaseball_
The injury to Hicks is even more devastating news given the fact that the club will also be without Cedric Mullins for the foreseeable future. The star outfielder was placed on the IL retroactively to July 16th with a right adductor groin strain. There is no clear timeline for his return to the lineup.
Aaron Hicks looks like a new player since joining the Baltimore Orioles
The veteran outfielder has looked completely revitalized after joining the Baltimore Orioles following a tumultuous time with the New York Yankees. The 11-year-pro appeared in only 28 games with the Bronx Bombers before being released by the club.
In those games, Hicks produced a dismal .188 batting average with a home run and five RBIs, which led to many believing that his time in the MLB could be done. However, after signing with the Baltimore Orioles, Hicks has been reborn, batting .252 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 42 games with his new club.
“Aaron Hicks entered today hitting .263/.366/.474 in 134 PA for the Orioles. His 134 wRC+ in that stretch is better than any Yankee this year except Aaron Judge” – @jay_jaffe
The hope is that Aaron Hicks will continue to perform at this level once he returns to the lineup, however, there is a chance that it could crush his hot stretch.