Frazier finally meets with reporters, reflects on 'difficult' Yankees tenure

Clint Frazier admitted that life as a member of the New York Yankees has not gone according to plan.

The outfielder finally met with the media Tuesday after initially refusing to speak to reporters two days prior following his ugly defensive performance in an 8-5 loss against the Boston Red Sox.

"I don’t regret it," Frazier replied when asked about not meeting reporters Sunday, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "To be fair, I don’t think I owe anyone an explanation, because it’s not a rule that I have to speak. I know that it came out that I was ducking the media, but that was not what I am trying to do."

Frazier then opened up about his struggles to adapt to life within the organization since arriving in a 2016 trade.

"I've owned up to my mistakes in the past," he added. "... You know, since I got traded over here, it's been some stories that shouldn’t have come out that have came out. And it’s difficult because the way I am perceived by people is not how I think that I really am. Stories that shouldn’t have been stories have been stories.

"Whether it started with the hair. Then it started with me asking for a number that I didn’t ask for. Then it started with another guy saying I should be out on the field playing through a concussion. It’s been difficult and I don’t feel like it’s been fair at times.

"I don’t owe an apology for not talking. I knew the people I should have spoken to, I did, and that’s where I went. I didn’t feel like I needed to stand in front of everyone and explain myself. The plays were what they were. I sucked. I lost us the game. Everyone knew what I did wrong. That’s what it came down to."

Frazier was responsible for three defensive miscues in Sunday's loss.

In the seventh inning, he allowed an Eduardo Nunez single to roll under his glove for a two-base error. Frazier followed it with a failed diving attempt on an Andrew Benintendi line drive, which was accompanied by an errant throw to the plate that allowed Red Sox runners to advance.

An inning later, he misjudged a ball off the bat of Michael Chavis, which ended up rolling past him in right field for a triple.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke on the professionalism he expects from his players when it comes to situations like this.

"Part of being a big-league player, and certainly part of playing here, is we want our guys to always respond when you have certainly played a specific role in a ballgame. That's part of being a pro," Boone said.

Cameron Maybin started in right field for the Yankees on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, with Frazier limited to DH duties.