31 Aaron Hicks CF

Hicks went 2-for-5 with a double and a two-run homer Friday against the Red Sox.

Hicks crushed his 11th homer of the season to pull the Yankees within one run in the eighth inning of a divisional victory. After missing over a month with an oblique injury, it didn't take him long to find his power stroke, and he continues to be an excellent fantasy option with a .286/.390/.519 slash line.

The Yankees activated Hicks (oblique) from the 10-day disabled list Thursday.

Hicks was believed to be ready for Friday but beat that timeline. The club created the roster spot by deactivating Clint Frazier, who's battling an oblique strain of his own. Hicks, meanwhile, will slide right into essentially everyday playing time, and he looks ready to go after homering from Double-A Trenton on Wednesday. He was in the midst of a breakout year, compiling a .290/.398/.515 line with 10 home runs, 37 RBI, 40 runs and seven stolen bases over 242 plate appearances.

Hicks (oblique) is expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

After getting through his sixth minor-league rehab game with no issues Tuesday, it appears Hicks is just about ready to rejoin the big club. Barring any setbacks in the coming days, the 27-year-old should be back in action against the Red Sox on Friday after missing more than a month with an oblique injury. He's expected to immediately reclaim an everyday role in the Yankees' outfield, likely diminishing Clint Frazier's playing time.

Manager Joe Girardi said Hicks (oblique) could return sometime over the weekend, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Hicks has been sidelined since June 25 with an oblique injury, and he finally appears to have a return in sight. He recently shifted his rehab assignment to Double-A Trenton after completing five games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so he'll be closer to New York in case the team decides to activate him against the Red Sox over the weekend. Once Hicks does return, he'll likely take most, if not all, of Clint Frazier's playing time in the outfield.

Hicks (oblique) was able to take batting practice Saturday for the first time since landing on the disabled list, Dan Martin of the New York Post reports.

The switch-hitter took swings from both sides of the plate, and he's slated to do the same again Sunday before heading out on a rehab assignment Wednesday. Hicks is expected to need about a week with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before being activated, and at that point, he could displace Clint Frazier for regular playing time in either left or center field.