Yankees’ Clint Frazier gets new (and better) diagnosis for latest head injury

Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier’s new injury is not another concussion, a neurologist has determined.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A day of medical tests led to good news for Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier.

Turns out his return to the disabled list last week isn’t a second concussion since February.

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Exams and tests done on Monday in Norwich Conn., by neurologist Dr. Anthony Alessi led to a different diagnosis:

Post-concussive migraines.

“A better-case scenario,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before his club began a series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Also, the Yankees now are tracing the start of Frazier’s injury to a mild collision with Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jace Peterson during a July 11 game at Oriole Park, not his attempt to make a diving catch in right-center field on July 19 in his first Triple-A game after being optioned back to the minors.

Thus, Frazier now is on the Yankees’ disabled list as opposed to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s, which means he’ll be getting credit for big-league service time and being paid big-league money while he’s recovering.

The Yankees are hopeful that Frazier, who will have a follow-up exam with Dr. Alessi on Tuesday, will be cleared to play fairly quickly.

“I don’t want to speculate on that too much,” Boone said. “I think we feel pretty good about the treatment and the evaluation he’s gotten that hopefully will keep this (time on the disabled list) short and we’ll get him back on the field soon.

“But obviously it’s a sensitive situation and we want to make sure that we take care of the person first.”

Frazier, 23, suffered a concussion playing a spring training game for the Yankees on Feb. 24, then didn’t play again until appearing in a rehab game for Class A Tampa on April 26.

Frazier thought he was past these issues until he left his last Triple-A game feeling dizzy following his dive for a flyball, but his collision with Peterson eight days earlier apparently is what triggered his post-concussive migraines, which aren’t uncommon.

With the Yankees up 8-0 in Baltimore July 11, Frazier hit a one-out single in the top of the ninth, went to second on a walk to Aaron Judge and then broke for third when Didi Gregorius chopped a grounder to third.

Peterson fielded the ball on two hops with Frazier charging his way. Frazier slowed down to avoid a hard collision, but Peterson fell onto his back after throwing to second for a forceout.

The collision looked minor and Frazier acted that was as well, as he smiled after getting up and walking to third base.

But after the game, Frazier complained of nausea.

“We did the concussion test, the SCAT 5 test, following the game and it came back clean,” Yankee spokesman Jason Zillo said. “Then he made two more appearances on the roadtrip after that run-in with the third baseman, then we optioned him when we were in Cleveland.

“When he reported to Triple-A, he tried to make that dive. He complained again and they ran another (SCAT 5) test and there was a hit on it. So we flagged that. So he went to see Alessi.”

And now it appears Frazier is on the road to recovery from an issue far less serious than another concussion.

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.