Yankees Injury Concerns As $700 Million Key Player Sent Off 2024 Season Due To Foot Scare….

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Add DJ LeMahieu to the Yankees’ list of potential health concerns as spring training enters its final week.

LeMahieu underwent X-rays on his right foot that came back negative Saturday after fouling a ball off himself in the Yankees’ win over the Blue Jays.

The veteran third baseman was clearly in pain but remained in the game to hit a single and ran the bases before being removed for a pinch hitter the next inning while the rest of the Yankees’ regulars each got one more at-bat.

On Sunday morning, LeMahieu was “still sore” when he reported to the Yankees’ facility, manager Aaron Boone said.

“Hopefully it’s just a day-to-day thing,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 12-6 loss to the Red Sox at JetBlue Park. “But he got it pretty good.”

LeMahieu was getting treatment when the Yankees left for Fort Myers, a trip LeMahieu was not scheduled to make anyway

The right foot is the same one LeMahieu has had issues with in recent seasons after breaking a bone in his big toe and sustaining ligament damage in his second toe late in 2022.

Aaron Judge also stayed back in Tampa, where he was scheduled to hit inside again for a third straight day.

Sunday’s work was expected to include facing high velocity off a machine in his latest step back from an abdominal issue.

“I don’t think [hitting] inside or outside matters that much,” Boone said.

The manager indicated Judge has responded well to the increased workload after resuming hitting on Friday.

“I did call and check on that, how was he when he came in [Sunday morning], they said he seemed really good, was getting ready to go out and hit,” Boone said.

In his first live batting practice of the spring Sunday, Tommy Kahnle threw 20 pitches, mixing in fastballs, sliders and changeups, and came away pleased.

“Felt good,” Kahnle said at Steinbrenner Field. “Arm felt good, shoulder felt good, body felt good.”

Until now, Kahnle only had thrown bullpen sessions and is behind because of the shoulder inflammation that cut short his season last year. The inflammation did not subside until about mid-December, which delayed his throwing program.

Boone said Kahnle might need up to three or four live sessions before he would be ready to get into a game, though time is running out for those to be Grapefruit League games. The likelihood is the 34-year-old righty will not be ready for the start of the season, but Kahnle is holding out hope.

“I know it’s going to be close. That’s all I know,” Kahnle said.

“Today’s another big step for him,” added Boone.

After Sunday’s game, the Yankees optioned outfielder Everson Pereira to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 22-year-old was a late-season call-up last year but showed he still needed some development in the minors before he gets back to the big leagues.

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Yankees Manager Comments On Latest Injury Scare

The New York Yankees are off to a rough start in the health department, with Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole already shut down for a month or two and former MVP Aaron Judge already dealing with a nagging abdominal injury.

Yet another key member of the roster now has a minor issue, as third baseman DJ LeMahieu fouled a ball off his foot yesterday and needed to go for X-rays.

Luckily for the team, Erik Boland of Newsday Sports reported that the X-rays came back clean, according to manager Aaron Boone.

LeMahieu was off to a rough start in spring training before the foul ball, posting a meager .535 OPS in ten games so far.

He is coming off the worst season of his career where he hit a career-low .243 with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 136 games.

LeMahieu should see more time at third base this season provided first baseman Anthony Rizzo can stay healthy.

Rizzo played in only 99 games last season following a long battle with a concussion, so LeMahieu was forced to make 50 starts at first.

He has split time fairly evenly between first, second, and third base during his time in New York, but in 2024 he should mostly stick to third with Rizzo back, Gleyber Torres bouncing back strong at second base in 2023, and young shortstop Anthony Volpe aiming for a big sophomore year.

DJ has three years and $45 million left on the six-year deal he signed in 2021 and has seen his production heading in the wrong direction since a monstrous 2020 season when he won the batting title.

Hopefully, he is back in the lineup soon and the team has some better luck in the injury department…..