The New York Yankees are still dealing with injuries as MLB Opening Day 2024 approaches in precisely one week. Gerrit Cole will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, Aaron Judge has been battling with an abdominal ailment, and DJ LeMahieu has a bone bruise in his right foot.
Naturally, Yankees supporters are hoping for a healthy lineup when the team plays the Houston Astros next Thursday. Unfortunately, it appears that this may not be the case based on the newest
Yankees News: DJ LeMahieu Injury Update.
Brendan Kuty of The Athletic offered a worrying injury update for LeMahieu on Thursday. According to Kuty, the three-time MLB All-Star “didn’t push” his footwork drills in the outfield and moved “gingerly.”
Kuty went on to say that LeMahieu’s actions were more akin to faster walking than running.
It will be intriguing to see if LeMahieu can make a swift turnaround during the next week. The newest injury update comes less than 24 hours after he informed reporters at Steinbrenner Field that he was “pretty much” ready to begin the 2024 season and that “it’s not going to take much” to return to regular-season form.
Even if it’s only for a few games, it’s easy to understand how LeMahieu’s absence would harm New York. Since joining the Yankees in 2019, the 35-year-old veteran has 73 home runs, 276 RBIs, and 264 walks, batting.285/.358/.439.
LeMahieu’s foot issue has limited him to 29 plate appearances this spring, with six hits, three RBIs, seven strikeouts, and a.222/.276/.259 slash line.
If LeMahieu isn’t ready for Opening Day, Oswaldo Cabrera will likely start at third base. Last season, the 25-year-old infielder hit five home runs and 29 RBIs while batting.211 in 330 plate appearances. He also had a.972 fielding percentage in 112 1/3 innings at third base.
Time will tell if LeMahieu’s injury affects the Bronx Bombers’ chances of winning the 2024 World Series. With Opening Day only a week away, the Yankees have the fourth-best odds to win the championship this year, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
