The New York Yankees will activate DJ LeMahieu on Tuesday and plan to start him on Wednesday. Manager Aaron Boone revealed how often he will play after his return from injury.
LeMahieu has missed the entire season up to this point after suffering a calf injury in spring training. The 36-year-old has dealt with injuries the past few seasons, so how much the team can rely on him is yet to be seen. Boone revealed that despite the team’s injuries, LeMahieu may not be an everyday player.
“I don’t necessarily see every day, but we’ll see how he’s doing and how he navigates it,” Boone told the New York Post. “But I definitely see him as a piece of the puzzle.”
LeMahieu figures to spend most of his time at second base with Jazz Chisholm Jr. currently injured. The plan going into the season was likely to have him platoon at third base with Oswaldo Cabrera. However, his injury likely changed the team’s plans.
Cabrera has not been great offensively, and Boone clearly does not think LeMahieu can be in the field every night. The Yankees could make a move to add a third baseman and keep LeMahieu and Cabrera as utility players. Even with Chisholm out, LeMahieu will likely share second base.
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The fact that the Yankees cannot commit to playing LeMahieu every day, even with Chisholm out, is revealing of how much they can rely on him. LeMahieu is a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover, two-time Silver Slugger and two-time batting champion. However, he is no longer that same player. He has a .232 average in the last two years with just a .663 OPS.
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