Aaron Hicks hopes for successful rehab with Red Wings
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Joe Leathersich
Twins outfielder Aaron hicks is excited to be playing baseball again, but the Red Wings can't wait for him to get called up to the show. "We hope he has a real successful rehab and then goes back (to Minnesota) and does what he needs to do at the big league level," Wings manager Mike Quade said of having Hicks in the dugout again. "He'll help the (Wings) lineup and all the rest of it, absolutely. It's always a double-edge sword: You're happy to see him but not really. You'd rather be watching him on T.V." Hicks was placed on the disabled list June 14with a strained right forearm and made his first rehab start Friday in a 3-1 loss to the Charlotte Knights. He arrived in Rochester Thursday night after working out at Target Field during the day. He said the workout was his third successful one — throwing and hitting without pain and/or discomfort — since the injury struck. The Twins have not given a timetable for Hicks' return to the big leagues, but he could return as soon as Monday, the first day he is eligible to be called up. Hicks began the year in Rochester and got off to a hot start with a .336 batting average, .415 on-base percentage and .561 slugging percentage before being called up May 12. If this weekend goes well for Hicks, it is likely he will be back with the Twins on Monday since top prospect Byron Buxton was placed on the DL Friday and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Buxton was pulled up from Double-A Chattanooga, jumping Triple-A altogether, after Hicks went down with his injury but has been underwhelming so far, batting .198/.231/.270. Rochester has been struggling, going 9-for-14 for the month of June. On Friday, the team struggled to get runners on base let alone across home plate. It only had four hits, two of which came in the fifth inning to create the lone run. Despite going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, Hicks said the arm was feeling good and that he was just "antsy" at the plate in his first game back. He is still confident about his return and hopes he can right the ship once back with Minnesota, which has cooled off since owning the best record in the American League as recently as May 31. "I want to get back to (the Twins). Just want to get back to centerfield and help my team win," he said.
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