With star sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton already on the injured list, the Yankees are hopeful that DJ LeMahieu will be able to avoid the same fate after the hot-hitting infielder exited Saturday’s 11-5 win over the Red Sox.
LeMahieu sustained a sprained left thumb while swinging at a fourth-inning pitch from Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi. LeMahieu was sent for imaging tests and manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that he “could be” headed for the IL.
“He was pretty sore, so we’ll just have to see what comes back from that,” Boone said.
While with the Rockies in May 2018, LeMahieu experienced a similar injury that kept him out of action for approximately two weeks. Boone said that LeMahieu wears a protective guard inside his glove while fielding as a result.
During Saturday’s at-bat, Boone and head athletic trainer Tim Lentych spoke to LeMahieu, who expressed a desire to remain in the game. LeMahieu grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice, and as he took his position at second base, Boone returned to the infield.
“I was just trying to get a better handle on where he was at with it, to get a sense of what he was feeling and what he was going through,” Boone said.
After the top of the fifth inning, LeMahieu was led to the clubhouse and Boone nodded to backup infielder Tyler Wade, who took the field for the sixth inning.
Lauded as the Yankees’ most valuable player last season, LeMahieu has been off to a torrid start this year. He snapped an eight-game hitting streak by going 0-for-3 on Saturday. He’s batting .411 (30-for-73) through 19 games.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].