Hicks on back soreness: "It's kind of hit or miss right now"

OAKLAND – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde posted another lineup yesterday that didn’t include Aaron Hicks.

Hyde isn’t playing matchups.

He can’t play Hicks.

The veteran outfielder retained his day-to-day status with discomfort in his back. He exited Monday night’s game in San Diego in the eighth inning after singling twice, with Austin Hays replacing him in left field.

Hyde won’t broadcast his players’ availability to the opposing manager, but Hicks didn’t appear in the next two games of the series and followed Thursday’s off-day by sitting again last night.

“It’s feeling all right,” Hicks said yesterday. “It’s kind of hit or miss right now. What I’m really trying to get over the hump with is hitting. I wake up, I have good mobility, and as soon as I start hitting it kind of starts to flare up a little bit. It’s what I’m dealing with. Let it take its course and go from there.”

Hicks said he doesn’t have an extensive history of back trouble.

“I really only had this one time where it’s been flaring up, kind of how it feels,” he said. “It’s just annoying. Walking around I feel fine, doing little things feel fine, rotation feels fine. And then as soon as I start to try to fire it up and get moving as fast as possible is when it starts wanting to shut down.”

The Orioles lost Hicks for three weeks with a strained left hamstring. He returned Monday and lasted seven innings.

Hicks doesn’t know whether he can avoid a second trip to the injured list. He understands that the club won’t play shorthanded for too long, and it could backdate a move.

“I know that the days are starting to get a little shorter, so I think for me it’s just, I’ve got to do what’s best for the team, and if it is going on the IL …,” he said.

“I’ve got to get to a point where I can help this team win, and if I’m not doing it, there’s somebody else who should be able to have that opportunity.”

The urgency to do something might have increased after Anthony Santander left last night’s game with “general soreness,” according to Hyde. Adam Frazier moved from second base to right field, with Hicks staying in the dugout.

"He's got a little bit of back,” Hyde said of Santander. “I could see he wasn't moving around great, so I just wanted to get him out of the game at that point."

The Orioles could decide to recall Ryan McKenna or Colton Cowser from Triple-A Norfolk. Cowser was optioned Monday to create room for Hicks, but after the Orioles sent down McKenna on Aug. 11 and reinstated Cedric Mullins from the injured list.

McKenna didn’t play last night. Cowser hit his 11^th home run.

* DL Hall struck out all three batters he faced last night. He’s made five appearances with the Tides this month and allowed two runs and three hits with two walks and 15 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.

The Orioles figured to recall Hall for their expanded September roster.

Do they wait that long?

* Ryan Mountcastle extended his on-base streak last night to 24 games, the longest by an Orioles player in a single season since Jonathan Schoop’s 26 in a row from April 12-May 12, 2017 … Mullins needs one stolen base to tie Adam Jones (90) for 10^th in club history … Adley Rutschman and former Dodger Russell Martin are the only two catchers in major league history to score 60 or more runs in their first two seasons in the majors.