MINNEAPOLIS -- Clint Frazier said that he immediately thinks about getting to second base as soon as his bat makes contact, and that exciting brand of play is quickly establishing the rookie outfielder as a valued piece of the Yankees' lineup.
Frazier hustled out of the batter's box twice in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Twins, stretching hits into doubles. Ranked as the organization's No. 2 prospect and the No. 17 prospect in baseball by MLBPipeline.com, Frazier said that is what people should expect from him on a nightly basis.
"Every time I hit the ball, I'm thinking extra-base hit," Frazier said. "I just know what it's like to have a guy run hard out of the box. It's difficult whenever they're forcing you to make a perfect throw on a bang-bang play. I'm just trying to be aggressive and get in scoring position."
Yankees manager Joe Girardi believes that the 22-year-old Frazier may be more athletic than people give him credit for. Girardi said Frazier runs the bases very well, going from first to third as well as anyone on the roster.
"It's a great mentality to have," Girardi said. "I think part of it is youth, and he's excited to be here, but it's a mentality that all players should have."
In his last seven games entering play on Tuesday, Frazier has gone 10-for-26 with six extra-base hits and seven RBIs. He joined Joe DiMaggio as the second player in Yankees history to collect at least eight extra-base hits in his first 11 games.
"I'm just trying to make sure I'm running the bases aggressively, but [be] smart while I'm doing it," Frazier said.
The Yankees did not plan to call up Frazier so soon -- they only did so after Dustin Fowler sustained a season-ending injury in his first game, on June 29 at Chicago -- but Girardi said the game seems to have slowed down for the prize of last July's Andrew Miller trade with the Indians.
"I'm going to find ways to play him just because I do like the way he's swinging the bat," Girardi said. "I like what he brings to the table. He brings power as well. I'll give him a day here soon, but this way I can keep all the outfielders pretty fresh."
Bombers bits
• Major League home run leader Aaron Judge is scheduled to get the day off on Wednesday against the Twins, which will give him an extended break leading into Thursday's series opener at Seattle. Judge entered play on Tuesday with just one hit in 21 at-bats since returning from the All-Star break.
• The Yankees optioned right-hander Bryan Mitchell to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday, creating room on the active roster for Tuesday's starter, right-hander Luis Cessa. Mitchell is 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA in 13 big league games (one start) this season.