Getty DJ LeMahieu will begin the season on the IL for the Yankees.
The New York Yankees will be without DJ LeMahieu when the season begins on March 28. The 35-year-old third baseman has not been available since he fouled a ball off of his foot on March 16. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that LeMahieu will not be ready for the club’s opening series against the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com’s Steve Kornacki.
“Giving it time the last few days. … It hasn’t responded quick enough with the day coming,” Cashman said. “So at this stage, he’s not going to be ready for Opening Day.”
LeMahieu has already undergone an MRI and a CT scan but will undergo testing again next week.
“When he did the MRI and the CT scan, they were all negative,” said Cashman. “But the foot expert down here, Dr. [Aaron] Mates, stayed in touch and wanted it repeated two weeks later to get a better feel for where the inflammation was. I don’t think we’re repeating the CT scan, but we’re repeating the MRI.”
Yankees’ Plan Without DJ LeMahieu
The Yankees would likely turn to utility bench player Oswald Peraza to man third base in LeMahieu’s absence. However, on March 9 Peraza was shut down for “6-8 weeks with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder,” MLB.com Bryan Hoch wrote on X.
The Yankees will turn to Oswaldo Cabrera to man the hot corner while LeMahieu works his way back. Cashman expressed confidence in Cabrera who has already been filling in for LaMahieu.
“He’s playing well,” Cashman said. “He’s the best internal candidate so far.”
LeMahieu was “penciled in” as the Yankees’ leadoff hitter in 2024, according to CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry. Aaron Boone expressed his desire for LeMahieu to bat at the top of the Yankees lineup early in the spring.
“Boone acknowledged that his preference would be to slot the 35-year-old LeMahieu as the table-setter in the top spot, getting on base to create traffic ahead of Juan Soto, captain Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo,” Hoch wrote on February 22.
With LeMahieu out of the picture to start the season the Yankees will need a new leadoff hitter to fill in. Gleyber Torres will serve the role against left-handers and Alex Verdugo will against right-handers, according to the Associated Press’ Mark Didtler.
LeMahieu’s 2024 Outlook
LeMahieu has been affected by injuries the past two seasons, according to Didtler. However, the Yankees’ star has shown he can be one of the best hitters in the majors. In 2020 LeMahieu won the batting title with a .346 batting average. It was his second time winning the award as he previously won in 2016 on the Colorado Rockies.
After dealing with injuries early in the season, LeMahieu showed signs of improvement after the All-Star break in 2023. He had a .273 batting average with an .809 OPS in 60 games after the break. He held a .220 batting average and .642 OPS in 26 games prior.
Prior to his injury, Aaron Judge expressed his excitement to see what LeMahieu brings to the table in 2024.
“I’m feeling a big year out of DJ again,” Judge said. “Just the work he’s put in, the laser focus he always has. I feel like he’s picked it up a notch even this year coming into camp, which I’m excited about.”
LeMahieu acknowledged his poor season at the plate in 2023 but is looking to move forward with a positive mindset.
“Listen, last year was a bad year,” LeMahieu said. “But I definitely could take some positives away from the second half, at least. Overall, I’m just looking to turn the page on last year, collectively and individually.”