Why Yankees' Clint Frazier's nightmare season sounds over

Highly regarded Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier’s season appears over after manager Aaron Boone said …

OAKLAND — It may officially be a lost season for Clint Frazier.

The young, highly touted outfielder suffered yet another setback in his post-concussion migraine rehab and it’s “unlikely,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, that Frazier will return to the majors in September.

Frazier, who turns 24 years old Thursday, saw a neurologist in Pittsburgh this week when symptoms started back up, Boone said.

“As he was getting ready to get transferred to (Double-A) Trenton,” Boon said, “he started feeling symptoms, so he went up there and saw this guy and trying to really hone in and get the best program in place we can for him to start getting him on the right track for good. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction.”

McCutchen over Gardner?

The Yankees think Frazier will make a full recovery — at some point.

“I’m hopeful, confident that he will,” Boone said. “But then again, it’s been a year of trying to get our hands around what’s going on with him and trying to get him moving in the right direction with momentum and hopefully this is a step in that direction.”

On Feb. 24, in a spring training game at the Pirates’ LECOM Park, Frazier twice hit the left-field wall trying to make catches.

Once, he said, his bounced off a scoreboard behind a chain-link fence. That likely caused the concussion.

He stayed on the disabled list until May 2.

There were times in which Frazier appeared healed. In 15 big-league games, he hit .265 with an RBI and a .743 OPS. At Triple-A, he hit .311 with 10 homers and 21 RBI in 48 games.

Other times, he seemed like he’d never get better. Frazier told reporters he had problems with light sensitivity and that he even forgot his cats’ names.

Frazier’s inability to stay on the field could force the Yankees to pick up left fielder Brett Gardner’s $12-million team option in the offseason.

Gardner, who just turned 35 years old, has hit just hit .239 with 12 homers and 41 RBI in 124 games. He’s stolen 14 bases in 16 tries.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.

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