What happened to Aaron Hicks? Orioles slugger exits game vs Phillies early after brilliant diving catch

Baltimore Orioles' surprisingly consistent slugger Aaron Hicks was pulled from the game against the Philadelphia Phillies early. Hicks made a brilliant catch that was jarred lose at the end, and resulted in an injury to him. This is a tough blow to the Orioles who have benefited from the power swing of the outfielder.

Since being traded to the club from the New York Yankees, Hicks has hit six home runs and has a batting average of .254. This is a significantly better mark than he had been able to achieve in New York. The fans and team alike are hopeful that this can be a short-term injury and he was pulled from the game as a precaution.

Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner shared the details of the play on Twitter:

"Aaron Hicks is exiting after attempting to make a diving play in center. Colton Cowser is taking over. This is not the ideal scenario for Baltimore, which already has Cedric Mullins injured" - Andy Kostka

Talkin' Baseball shared a clip of the play on Twitter:

"Hicks is leaving the game with an injury after this wild play in centerfield. Looked like the ball came out on replay but the Phillies didn't challenge" - Talkin' Baseball

The decision not to challenge was puzzling since the ball certainly popped out at the end of the catch. The bigger story, however, is how badly is Hicks hurt.

The Baltimore Orioles need Aaron Hicks more than anybody could have expected

When the Yankees traded Hicks to the Baltimore Orioles, many thought it could be his last chance in MLB. After years of mediocrity in New York, his offensive turnaround stunned many. The Orioles are certainly benefitting from it, as they put together one of their best seasons in recent memory.

If Aaron Hicks is out for an extended period of time, the Orioles' path to the playoffs just got harder.