Yankees not ruling out Clint Frazier forcing them to keep him on roster

Clint Frazier was 2 for 4 as the Yankees leadoff hitter and center fielder in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

NEW YORK — Clint Frazier arrived at Yankee Stadium for Thursday’s game telling himself the same thing as the day before … and so on:

Do something to stand out.

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Frazier knows that this big-league stint, like two others earlier this season, may not be lasting, so his plan is to force Yankees management into wanting him around full-time as opposed to whenever there’s an extra roster spot due to a doubleheader or an outfielder is dealing with a nagging injury.

“I’ve thought about it every day,” Frazier said Thursday after accomplishing his daily mission in a 4-3 Yankees win over the Seattle Mariners.

Leading off and playing center for the first time as a big leaguer, Frazier started the Yankees’ first off with an opposite-field single and it led to a four-run inning that was the difference in the game.

Later, Frazier added another other-way hit to right in going 2 for 4 to hike his seven-game average to .368.

“If you watched the way they were shifting me, they had me up the middle a lot, so I was trying to stick to right field and every pitch they threw me I felt like it was on the outer half,” Frazier said. “So I was trying to go where the ball was thrown and it was a good day.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone noticed, and he agrees.

“He opens my eyes from the at-bat quality,” Boone said. “Since the day we first called him up in Kansas City, right away you saw good, patient at-bats. He’s up there looking to do damage.

“Any time we just throw him in there, right away there’s a plan and I feel like he’s giving you a mature at-bat plus with he’s tooled up. He can hurt you if you make a mistake.”

Frazier, 23, was in the top spot Thursday mostly due to need.

Boone wanted Brett Gardner, the Yankees’ regular leadoff hitter, to rest his sore knee one more day before playing his first game in almost a week Friday night at Tampa Bay.

Also, Boone thought Aaron Hicks, Gardner’s usual replacement in the top spot, needed a day off.

It an easy choice for Boone to turn to Frazier, who runs well and hit .377 leading off 13 times in Triple-A games.

What may not be so easy is farming Frazier back to Triple-A next week to bring back utility infielder Ronald Torreyes. This swap played out last week because the Yankees wanted Frazier for outfield insurance, and because he impressed so much going 4 for 11 starting all three games in a sweep of a good Mariners ballpark, it’s now no sure thing that Frazier and Torreyes will be flip-flopped again.

Matter of fact, Boone acknowledged after Thursday’s game that Frazier could stick around once Gardner is back playing.

“Yeah, I think there’s an avenue for that,” Boone said. “We’re kind of just day by day right now based on different guys and our needs in the pitching and how many (relievers) we want to keep, (but) he’s taking advantage of opportunities.

“He’s earned his way up here a few different times when we’ve had to send him back. He’s another young player that when that opportunity knocks, he’s representing well.”

Frazier smiled in excitement when he was told Boone isn’t ruling out he’ll stick around.

“It’s good hearing that,” Frazier said. “Every time I came up here I’ve tried to do my best to be prepared and I feel like I’ve held my own since I’ve been up here. Even if it means playing every other day, I’m fine with that. I want to be on this team and I’m here to fill any role they want to put me in.”

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