Clint Frazier’s disappointing season has taken its latest twist, as the outfielder landed the injured list Friday.
The Yankees outfielder, who exited Wednesday’s game early with “complaints of dizziness,” went on the IL for what manager Aaron Boone described as vertigo. Boone said Frazier is still undergoing “a battery of tests” to discover exactly what his issue is.
“It’s been pretty extensive so when we have all that information, full clarity, we’ll have a better answer for you,” Boone said before the Yankees hosted the Mets. “Doctors, hospitals, things like that. Just trying to, if we can uncover something or get to the bottom of anything. It’s a litany of tests he’s going through.”
Frazier missed extensive time in 2018 with a concussion and concussion-related issues, but Boone said the vertigo is not necessarily related to any of that.
The 26-year-old has “been OK” since Wednesday, according to Boone.
Putting Frazier on the IL opened a 26-man roster spot for outfielder Tim Locastro, whom the Yankees acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks on Thursday. The upstate New York native and speedy center fielder was in The Bronx on Friday, but was not in the starting lineup.
Frazier, who also missed time earlier this season with a neck issue, entered the year as the Yankees’ starting left fielder, but has struggled to take advantage of the opportunity. He lost his hold on the job to Miguel Andujar last month and was batting just .186 with an OPS-plus of 77 through 66 games.
Andujar figured to be the biggest beneficiary from Frazier’s absence. The natural third baseman had overtaken Frazier in left field for 11 straight starts from June 5-18 while swinging a hot bat. Andujar made his seventh straight start in left field Friday — his 35th start there in the last 43 games — while carrying a slash line of .257/.285/.396 into the Subway Series opener, though his defense remained a work in progress.
General manager Brian Cashman said earlier in the week that left field was one of the areas he was looking to upgrade via trade because of a lack of production there so far this season.
