New York Yankees Clint Frazier collides with wall in spring game
LAKELAND, Fla. — Earlier this spring, speaking about the strides he’s taken on defense in recent years, Clint Frazier joked that he needs to build a better relationship with the outfield wall.
“I’m gonna try to stay away from the wall and just hope for a healthy season,” Frazier said.
On Tuesday, as Frazier sprinted toward the left-field wall at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, that relationship hit a bit of a speed bump.
Frazier was tracking down a deep fly ball off the bat of Detroit Tigers shortstop Willi Castro. He reached the warning track and continued barreling toward the fence, eventually smashing into the wall as he tried to rob a home run.
Even as the ball snuck over the wall for a three-run homer, giving Detroit the lead, all eyes immediately went to Frazier who remained on the ground, shaken up. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and a team trainer quickly made their way out to Frazier to see if he was alright.
“Yeah, he hit the hit the wall pretty well right there,” center fielder Aaron Hicks said in a Zoom call. “I ran over to see how he was feeling. I’ve been the guy that had the concussion and then took a while to be comfortable being around the wall again. So I was just seeing how he was feeling. He seemed like he was doing okay so hopefully that continues.”
Frazier stayed in the game, making a nice catch on a line drive in the gap a few pitches later, before stepping up to the plate for his second at-bat of the game. After he struck out swinging in the bottom half of the frame, Frazier was taken out of the contest.
“He just felt like he just needed some time and that’s perfectly understandable,” Hicks said, recalling how Frazier acted in the dugout between innings. “Especially during the game, you want to get back to your position, but that may not be the best thing. So, I just told him take his time. And when he was ready, we’re gonna be ready to go.”
The 26-year-old has been concussed before from running into the wall as well. In 2018, Frazier missed a good chunk of time with a concussion, needing another full year before he had completely recuperated.
Last season, after starting the year at New York’s alternate site, Frazier blossomed into not only one of the Yankees’ most dangerous threats on offense, but an elite defender. By the end of the coronavirus-shortened season, Frazier had earned a Gold Glove nomination for his work in the outfield.
Prior to the conception of spring training exhibition games, Yankees manager Aaron Boone named Frazier New York’s starting left fielder.
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