Aaron Boone plans Aaron Hicks talk after Yankees benching as jeers grow

A day later, Aaron Hicks did not have to listen to the mounting jeers, but he was expected to listen to a few words from Aaron Boone.

The Yankees manager left Hicks out of the lineup Saturday and said he would have a talk with the outfielder whose season-long struggles culminated in a disastrous performance in Friday’s loss.

“I have not [talked to Hicks] yet, but I will circle up with him and just get him prepared as best we can to be a contributor,” Boone said before the Yankees took on the Rays at the Stadium.

Hicks was pulled from Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Rays to start the fifth inning after a pair of misplays in the fourth, when the home crowd let out its frustrations on the left fielder.

Hicks, who had already struck out in two at-bats, dropped a fly ball from Wander Franco down the line. He was slow to pick the ball back up – believing it to be foul – and then threw it in too late, allowing two Rays to score and Franco to reach second.

The next batter was Randy Arozarena, who drove a line drive over the head of Hicks, who got turned around on the double.

Hicks – who heard “Joey Gallo” taunts – was gone an inning later. Boone said “we’ll see” when asked Saturday if he could play Hicks again at home in this series.

Boone started Miguel Andujar in left field and Oswaldo Cabrera in right field. The manager suggested that “becoming that target” from the crowd is making it more difficult for Hicks to bounce back.

“Hopefully this is something that you get to that point where you get through it, and it doesn’t bother you – it doesn’t get to you,” Boone said of Hicks, who is 2-for-21 in his past seven games, bringing his OPS down to .622. “You just gotta do your job and hopefully, this is something that helps in that process of getting him there.”