Aaron Hicks’ long-awaited season debut was delayed yet again by Monday’s rainout.
But he is mostly interested in making sure the lower-back injury that sidelined him in spring training and caused him to miss the first 40 games of the season doesn’t return.
“It’s one of those things you have to maintain to get results and make my body feel the way I want it to,’’ Hicks said before the Yankees and Orioles were rained out in The Bronx. “I have to have a strong core and doing those core exercises makes my back feel better.’’
Hicks returned to the Yankees after a rehab stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. After going hitless in 11 at-bats with Class-A Tampa in his first three rehab games, Hicks then went 0-for-3 in his first game with SWB before breaking through with two doubles and a homer on Saturday.
The production in his final rehab game made Hicks confident he was ready to come back.
“Just to be able to recognize balls a little bit better and it was important to build some confidence,’’ Hicks said. “I felt good [Saturday].”
Hicks was scheduled to hit leadoff and play center on Monday and Aaron Boone wants to make sure he stays healthy.
“He’s such a dynamic player,’’ the manager said. “Part of why it took a long time for him to come back was making sure he was built up properly. … We feel like he’s in a really good place with conditioning and been past the injury for quite a while now. He’s absolutely ready to go, but it’s obviously something we have to try and stay on top of and monitor.’’
To make room for the switch hitter, the Yankees optioned Mike Tauchman to SWB. Tauchman, acquired in a trade with the Rockies at the end of spring training, provided outfield versatility and had recently snapped out of a slump, going 7-for-17 with three doubles and a homer in his last seven games.
Hicks signed a seven-year, $70 million deal during spring training.
“I hope he can get into the flow here quick,’’ Boone said.
Gleyber Torres was back in the lineup — and at shortstop — before the rainout on Monday after being hit by a pitch Friday against the Rays and making some shaky throws on Saturday.
“It’s still sore, for sure,’’ Torres said before the game. “But I can throw.’’
Torres, who has continued to be productive at the plate, was wearing a sleeve on his arm to try to keep it warm and loose.
Boone said he thought about putting Torres at second base and keeping Thairo Estrada at short after Estrada filled in there Sunday, but Boone said he was confident Torres was strong enough to make the throw from short.
He instead gave DJ LeMahieu a day out of the starting lineup before the whole team got the night off.
Giancarlo Stanton (shoulder) took live at-bats for the first time in Tampa on Monday and Boone said the team feels like he’s “moving in the right direction,’’ although he’s not scheduled for any rehab games yet. He had been doing tee and toss. Aaron Judge (oblique) has still not advanced to baseball activities.
In eight games since his 42-game on-base streak ended on May 3, Luke Voit entered Monday just 1-for-26 with four walks and 10 strikeouts and hitless in his previous 17 at-bats. He was not the only Yankee struggling, with Brett Gardner in a 1-for-17 slump and Gary Sanchez 3-for-21. Sanchez was back behind the plate after sitting Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Sanchez was hit in the head by Guillermo Heredia’s bat during Saturday night’s game, but said he was OK Sunday.
