The New York Yankees have finally provided an update on the injury status of veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu.
According to Greg Joyce of the New York Post, LeMahieu, who left a spring training game last weekend after tweaking his calf, has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 or 2 calf strain following an MRI. Team doctors have advised him to refrain from baseball activities for at least a couple of weeks.
This injury casts doubt on LeMahieu’s availability for Opening Day, when the Yankees are set to face the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27, just three weeks away.
LeMahieu has struggled with injuries in recent years, limiting both his on-field time and performance. In 2024, he had a rough season, playing 67 games and posting a disappointing .204/.269/.259 slash line, unable to find any consistency.
The veteran signed a six-year, $90 million contract after his standout 2020 season, but has yet to replicate that form. From 2021-2023, he maintained a more respectable .258/.345/.375 line over 411 games.
New York still owes LeMahieu $15 million for the next two years, which justifies their decision to keep him around this offseason in hopes he can prove he’s healthy enough to contribute. However, this also highlights the Yankees’ lack of a solid backup plan at third base.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone had expressed confidence that LeMahieu, when healthy, is one of the team’s top players. But at 36 and battling multiple injuries, it’s increasingly uncertain whether he can stay healthy enough to be a consistent contributor.
With LeMahieu out for at least a couple of weeks and no clear timeline for his return, it’s likely the Yankees will be without him for a month or more. Whether the team will make a move to address the infield depth before the season begins remains to be seen. However, the Yankees have placed their trust in LeMahieu’s health, and this injury underscores the risk of relying on him to remain a key player.
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