Hicks back in Yankees’ lineup; Stanton still out

NEW YORK — Aaron Hicks returns to the Yankees‘ starting lineup Tuesday for the first time since Aug. 3, and Giancarlo Stanton remains out for the second straight game when the AL Championship Series resumes with New York and Houston tied 1-all.

Hicks will take over in center field and hit ninth against Houston’s Gerrit Cole in Game 3. Previously sidelined by an injured flexor near his right elbow, Hicks pinch hit for starting left fielder Cameron Maybin in Game 2 and grounded out leading off the 10th inning, then moved to center.

Limited by injuries to 18 games during the regular season, Stanton homered in the opener and missed Game 2 because of a strained right quadriceps. Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton probably would be on the injured list if this were the regular season.

“Kind of called G in right when he got here and just said we’re going to stay away today,” Boone said. “He’s going to get outside and move around a little bit more today — feel like he would be a hitter-off-the-bench option today. And then we’ll kind of see where we are again moving forward, kind of day by day here.”

Rain is forecast for Wednesday in New York, which could push Game 4 to Thursday.

Brett Gardner moves from center and replaces Stanton in left. Asked what he expects from Hicks, Boone said “a couple homers, walk” and smiled.

“The big question mark is, he hasn’t played in a couple of months, so that’s the challenge,” Boone said.

First baseman DJ LeMahieu is leading off, followed by right fielder Aaron Judge, Gardner, designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, second baseman Gleyber Torres, shortstop Didi Gregorius, catcher Gary Sanchez, third baseman Gio Urshela and Hicks in center. Luis Severino is on the mound.

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