Yankees' DJ LeMahieu has 'pretty significant' bone bruise in right foot, status for Opening Day up in the air
Yankees' DJ LeMahieu grounds out in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
TAMPA, Fla. — DJ LeMahieu suffered a “pretty significant” bone bruise after fouling a ball off his right foot on Saturday, raising the possibility the Yankees third baseman could start the season on the injured list.
“We’ll see,” Aaron Boone said after the Yankees beat the Phillies, 4-3, Monday afternoon. “I hope [he can be ready for Opening Day], and it’s certainly reasonable to think so, but I’m not going to speculate too much on that. We’re going to kind of look at it every couple of days. He got a really good report from the X-rays, CT scan . . . but it’s a pretty significant bone bruise there, and on a foot that’s had some issues for him.”
That was a reference to the right toe inflammation that hobbled LeMahieu in the second half of a 2022 season that crashed and burned after a promising start. And the veteran never got on track in 2023, slashing .243/.327/.390 in 136 games.
“I’m not going to have him playing through anything initially [to start the season],” Boone said. “Because I feel like that’s where you start compensating and you start putting other parts of the body, and in that foot even, in jeopardy.
“And I’ve been clear with DJ on that. So we’ll be treating it, he’s doing significantly better than he was yesterday and the day before, so that’s all good, and we’ll kind of reevaluate it here, probably going into the night game [Wednesday] and see where we’re at.”
LeMahieu received treatment on Monday but did not go through any baseball activities. If he is unable to be on the Opening Day roster, the spot at third likely will be manned by Oswaldo Cabrera.
Oswald Peraza would most likely have been the choice, but he is currently out with a right shoulder issue. The Yankees bringing in a veteran discard from another camp — or executing a minor deal of some kind — before camp breaks cannot be ruled out.
Kevin Smith is among the dwindling number of options currently in camp, though a spot would have to be created on the 40-man for East Greenbush native.
