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Three ways the Yankees can improve during A-Rod's absence

(AP)
(AP)

It's difficult to put a positive spin on anything that's going on with the New York Yankees right now. Wednesday's 7-0 win in Baltimore aside, they have looked like a complete disaster through the first 25 games of the season, and they have few reasons for optimism on the horizon.

The Yankees have looked old. They've looked slow. And now comes word they will be without Alex Rodriguez for at least the next two weeks as he deals with a hamstring injury.

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As a result, the Yankees will be without one of their more productive bats. Before we get too crazy thinking about that though, let us clarify that A-Rod's production is relative to other Yankees. In his age-40 season, he's only batting .194/.275/.444, so he's not even remotely tearing it up or making a case for an All-Star appearance. He is hitting the occasional home run (five) though, and he is tied for the team lead in RBIs (12).

If others were producing at their expected levels, you could certainly live with A-Rod's current numbers while hoping for more down the road. But others aren't producing, and now that he's out manager Joe Girardi has to figure out where his last-place Yankees will get some production.

At first thought, it almost seems like a lost cause. There's no single answer that stands out as a reasonable fix. Upon further thought though, perhaps there are some positive seeds that can at least be planted during A-Rod's absence. With that in mind, consider these three things.

Can Aaron Hicks emerge as a fixture for the Yankees? (AP)
Can Aaron Hicks emerge as a fixture for the Yankees? (AP)

The outfield defense will improve:

In Wednesday's win, Girardi moved Carlos Beltran to designated hitter, which allowed Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks to line up in the outfield. That's a group that can cover some serious ground, as all three are capable of playing center field. Perhaps it's not a reasonable long term solution given that Hicks is hitting a miserable .067, but maybe it can become more of a consideration if they can prove valuable in preventing runs.

When you're the second worst team in baseball in terms of runs scored — which the Yankees are even after Wednesday's outburst — saving runs can become as important as scoring them. For the short term anyway, this group should have a chance to show how valuable it can be playing together.

A hot bat emerges: A-Rod's absence will force Girardi to spread the at-bats around a little more. Though there are no real exciting options on the current roster, perhaps those extra at-bats can get someone hot. Maybe it's Aaron Hicks, which allows him to settle in as a more regular outfielder. Maybe it's Chase Headley or Dustin Ackley, both of whom are mired in season-long slumps. Maybe it's even someone currently in the minor leagues, just waiting for a call.

With at-bats come opportunities, and with opportunities come possibilities. Right now, the Yankees desperately need to give more opportunities with the idea of creating more possibilities.

[Elsewhere: Gerrit Cole may have had too much fun at the Penguins game]

A-Rod gets a breather: Perhaps the most important thing to come from Alex Rodriguez's absence is that he'll have a chance to come back refreshed. He's looked anything but since spring training, which could be attributed to his age and a worn down body. It's also possible he's been pushing too hard both physically and mentally, and now he'll finally have a chance to breathe a bit.

We won't know the answer until he's back, but there's no denying his gas tank hasn't looked even half full as compared to last season.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!