The New York Yankees will be without DJ LeMahieu, their third baseman, for longer than they expected. A second MRI showed a foot fracture.
“Aaron Boone said DJ LeMahieu has a non-displaced bone fracture, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported. “He will have another imaging in two weeks.”
LeMahieu was put on the injured list at the beginning of the season after injuring his foot while playing. The team decided to do more tests when the swelling didn't go down as quickly as they thought.
“He will be checked again in two weeks, but it's clear that he will be out for longer than they first thought,” according to MLB Trade Rumors. “The Yankees didn't give a timeline after the two-week check, but it's likely that LeMahieu won't play until late April, and maybe even longer.”
The New York Yankees Have a Problem With Infield Depth Without DJ LeMahieu
Due to the lack of options for replacing LeMahieu, the Yankees made a three-team trade to get utility player Jon Berti from the Miami Marlins. Oswaldo Cabrera has been playing third base at the beginning of the season, and has had a strong start with six hits and four RBI in just nine at-bats.
But there aren't many other choices after Cabrera. He's the only backup for first baseman Anthony Volpe and also plays shortstop and second base. Second baseman Gleyber Torres is listed got hit by a fastball on his thumb against the Houston Astros, and if there's another injury in the infield, it would be a big problem for the Yankees’ bench. “This puts the Yankees in a difficult position at third base,”
as stated by Dayn Perry on CBS Sports . “Normally, they would have Oswaldo Peraza to replace LeMahieu, but he's also injured with a shoulder strain and won't play until at least May.”Yankees Could Suffer Without DJ LeMahieu in Their Offense
Before he got injured, LeMahieu was supposed to be the leadoff hitter for the Yankees. Even though his performance has declined recently, he is a
highly-decorated player with multiple awards. he is a “LeMahieu, aged 35, is in the fourth year of a six-year, $90 million contract,” MLB Trade Rumors stated. “He wanted to improve on a tough year at the plate in the last season, but he struggled in 29 plate appearances in spring and will now miss a big portion of the current season.”
After dealing with injuries in 2023 that caused them to miss the playoffs, the Yankees are worried about injuries this year, especially since some of their star players are getting hurt.
“This spring has been tough for the Yankees in terms of injuries,” Perry noted. “Gerrit Cole has elbow problems that will keep him out for at least three months, and Aaron Judge is dealing with an abdominal injury.”
If LeMahieu's injury gets worse or the team has more infield injuries, the front office might have to look for a free agent or make a trade to fill the gaps.
The New York Yankees will be without third baseman DJ LeMahieu for a longer time than the team expected because evaluations showed a bone fracture.
