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Palladino: Hicks And Carter Should Keep Yankees' Power Switch On

By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns

It's not that the Yankees don't miss the consistent power Gary Sanchez expects to bring to the lineup.

It's just that they have enough ammo right now to overcome his absence. And yes, it goes beyond Aaron Judge's monster blasts, Starlin Castro's timely home runs, and Jacoby Ellsbury's new-found, contract-validating power, all of which were on display this weekend.

The past few games have proved that there are some reliable bats coming off the bench, too, in the persons of Chris Carter and Aaron Hicks. Stick either one in the lineup as a sometime starter or pinch-hitter, and they'll provide an element of danger for enemy arms.

Carter, of course, has proved the most comforting of all. It took some time for last year's NL home run champion to get himself going, which was only fitting considering it took until mid-February for the former Brewer slugger to find a job at all. But Carter came through during Saturday's 11-5 win in Pittsburgh with his season's first homer, a pinch-hit three-run job in the eighth that broke up a 5-5 tie.

For a guy who hit 41 homers a year ago, it was high time for some heroics. He has appeared in 12 games, half in a pinch-hit role, but the homer marked only his third hit in 28 at-bats. His current .207 mark after Sunday's double-switch single has proven no surprise, however, considering the free-swinger hit just .222 last year while compiling an NL-leading 206 strikeouts.

Yankees Carter and Hicks
Chris Carter (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images); Aaron Hicks (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

What the homer did was renew Joe Girardi's confidence that he could slip Carter in at first with little fear of a power dropoff. Considering Greg Bird is having his own problems with a meager one homer and two RBI in 51 ABs (.098), it actually might be wise to increase Carter's five spot starts at first base and let him play either there or at DH, where he has one start this year, for an extended period.

In fact, three of four of the Yankees' big boppers haven't exactly done the job for a variety of reasons. Sanchez went out on Day 5 with a torn muscle behind his right bicep and won't be back until May. Bird's troubles have already been stated. And veteran Matt Holliday (.217) hasn't lit the up the room as well as expected.

Their cumulative 18-for-117 (.153) with four homers heading into Sunday's game in Pittsburgh offered plenty of room for improvement. And if that means inserting Carter in what could be the beginning of a hot streak, then Girardi should consider it.

Hicks has looked quite comfortable in a reserve role that has seen him make starts in all three outfield positions. With four homers and a .303 BA, he has given Girardi no worries about resting Brett Gardner, Ellsbury, or Judge.

Hicks was part of a four-homer parade Wednesday that cruised Masahiro Tanaka to a 9-1 win over the White Sox. Hicks lacks the sex appeal that oozes over Judge as he launches homers into geosynchronous orbit, but he obviously gets the job done when involved.

He's also is the closest player to the team RBI leaders with nine. Castro, Ronald Torreyes, and Judge, all starters, have 13 each.

It is little wonder then that the Yanks came out of Sunday's 2-1 loss leading the majors with 91 runs and stood two homers behind the AL-leading Rangers with 26.

With power coming from all over the roster -- Ellsbury homered off former Yankee Ivan Nova on Sunday -- and with more expected once Sanchez get back, Girardi's lineup should have no problem fulfilling his expectations for increased run production in 2017.

Hicks and Carter were only two who proved the power will never be out for long, no matter how the lineup looks.

Please follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino

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