"No chance" - Aaron Hicks' former teammate dismisses rumors of Yankees star's prohibition from playing golf

The New York Yankees are the most successful team in MLB history and are never far from headlines. Recently, rumors have shed some insight into the Yankees' 2023 breakup with outfielder Aaron Hicks, which, all things considered, was not an amicable one.

According to Hicks, an avid golfer who plays regularly, there were rumors that some of his injuries were caused due to golf. Former MLB player A.J. Pierzynski said on "Foul Territory" on Thursday about the same:

"I don’t know if this is true or not, but Aaron Hicks used to play in this event a few years ago, and the Yankees told him he had to stop because they thought that’s why he was getting injured.

"I don’t know if that’s true or not, but there was a rumor … that they told him he had to stop playing golf."

However, co-host Todd Frazier, a former teammate of Aaron Hicks in New York, refuted the idea, saying that there's "no chance" the rumor is true.

"There was guys that would struggle, and their hitting coach would be like, 'Go golf. Go.' And they'd come back, and all of a sudden, they got their swing back."

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Aaron Hicks found his form with the Orioles after being released by the Yankees

Aaron Hicks signed a seven-year deal with the Yankees worth $70 million before the 2019 MLB season but struggled with injuries, and his performances declined.

After a poor start to the 2023 campaign, including a .188 average and a .524 OPS, Hicks was released by the franchise. He told the New York Post:

“I wasn’t shocked, because I felt like I already saw the way they were going. I assumed something was coming because everyone that came up (from the minors) seemed to pass me over. I would still be in the same role-playing against some lefties.

"I assumed that was gonna continue, and I’d never really get a consistent opportunity to play and take over the job.”

Hicks was picked up by the Baltimore Orioles, where he hit .275 with a .806 OPS. The Orioles won 101 games in 2023. Hicks is a free agent in 2024 and has been tenuously linked to the San Diego Padres.