New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks had asked and received permission from manager Aaron Boone to sit out of a game following the police shooting of Daunte Wright in Minnesota.
Hicks, who is Black, asked to be removed from the starting lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida, on Monday night because of the situation in Minneapolis. Hicks was drafted by and played his first three major league seasons for the Twins.
“It’s hit Aaron particularly hard,” Boone said.
“With all that’s going on in Minneapolis he’s having a tough time right now,” Boone added. “Had a conversion in my office and he felt like it was best to not be in the starting lineup tonight and I certainly support that."
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Boone said that Giancarlo Stanton also considered not playing.
Also following the police killing of Wright, the Minnesota Twins, Wild and Timberwolves postponed their games scheduled for Monday.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon described the shooting death Sunday of 20-year-old Wright as “an accidental discharge.” The shooting sparked protests and unrest in an area already on edge because of the trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death.
