Yankees' DJ LeMahieu has another MRI, results not immediately announced
The Yankees' DJ LeMahieu grounds out in the first inning of a spring training game against the Rays on March 6 in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Charlie Neibergall
HOUSTON – The Yankees are closer to figuring out a timeframe for DJ LeMahieu.
Maybe.
On Friday, the third baseman underwent a second MRI on his right foot, which sustained what the Yankees called “a significant bone bruise” on March 16 after fouling a ball off it in a spring training game. An MRI taken that day showed the bruise, and the plan all along was that LeMahieu would go for another round of testing about two weeks later because swelling can sometimes provide cover for something more serious.
The Yankees did not immediately disclose the results of the MRI before Friday night's matchup against the Astros.
“I just asked about that,” Boone said before the second game of the four-game series.
Though not completely analogous, LeMahieu’s situation is somewhat reminiscent of Mark Teixeira in 2015.
On Aug. 17 of that season, the first baseman fouled a ball off his right leg. What initially was diagnosed as a bone bruise, and something that would sideline him for maybe two weeks, turned into a season-ending injury. Teixeira underwent a third MRI on Sept. 11, 2015, and a fracture was finally discovered.
“There hasn’t been the improvement [we would have liked to see],” Boone said. “A lot of times the swelling can hide that kind of stuff when you originally do something, that’s the reason for rescheduling. But I think it was on the books to do it anyway.
"When he started to ramp up a little bit, he wasn’t getting the daily improvement that we would have hoped. Hopefully we get a better, clearer look this time and then go from there.”
After being down for a couple of days after the injury, LeMahieu, 35, slowly began baseball activities and progressed to the point of taking ground balls last Monday. But that session was cut short and he hasn’t done much the rest of the week. But Boone did say that LeMahieu “threw” on Thursday and “might have hit off the tee a little bit.”
“I don’t know what he did today,” Boone said on Friday. “I know just checking with him yesterday, a couple of days of just being in treatment and not a lot of volume [with baseball activities], it seemed like he was feeling a little better today than yesterday, so we’ll see how the re-imaging looks, and hopefully be able to start ramping up again.”
