The New York Yankees are approaching the 2024 season opening day, and injury concerns have begun to grip the team. Gerrit Cole, the reigning AL CY Young pitcher, happened to be the first victim. After his spring debut, Cole witnessed nerve inflammation in his pitching elbow and has been ruled out for two months.
Besides, New York Yankees captain and impactful slugger Aaron Judge has been nursing an abs injury for the past couple of weeks. Now, in the latest setback, veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu is reportedly dealing with a foot injury. Moreover, if the latest updates are to be believed, things are not looking very promising.
DJ LeMahieu ‘Not Pushing’ Foot Exercises Amid Injury Concern!
Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu, who had an abysmal season in 2023, is gearing up for a comeback this year. As the oldest player on the roster, expectations from the third baseman are sky-high. However, just days ahead of opening day, LeMahieu has been dealing with a foot injury that has sidelined him during spring training. The baseman got hit on the foot with a foul ball. While scans were clean, he reported soreness, after which the team chose to shut him down. Notably, DJ hasn’t had a game in the past week. Moreover, The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty shared a concerning update earlier today to further cast doubt on the veteran’s opening day participation. Kuty said DJ only performed light footwork exercises on Thursday.
Brendan Kuty added that DJ LeMahieu consciously didn’t push through his outfield exercises. Moreover, his jog around the playfield seemed more like a walk to Kuty. Importantly, the veteran baseman has suffered a blow on the same foot that he sustained a major injury on a couple of years ago. That’s the reason he has been advised by the team to opt for a cautious approach. Having said that, if DJ LeMahieu ends up missing the opening day, it would be considered a significant blow to the Yanks. Aaron Boone had penciled him as a leadoff hitter. In his absence, it would be difficult for the inexperienced guys to step up and perform as per expectations. Regardless, despite the uncertainty surrounding LeMahieu’s availability, the Yankees remain optimistic about the upcoming season. The Yanks will play the opening-day game vs. Astros on March 28.
Yankees Cap Aaron Judge Declares Himself Fit For Opening Day!
Meanwhile, in a big boost for New York Yankees, captain Aaron Judge has declared himself fit for opening day after significant injury scare. Judge missed 10 consecutive days of field time due to discomfort in abs. He went through MRI scans and shut himself dow as a precautionary measure. With opening day in sight, he didn’t want to take any risks.
Having said that, after the scare, Aaron Judge returned this Wednesday in Yankees 12-0 win over Pirates and confirmed he felt good. Judge added that he is in good shape and would field on opening day vs Houston Astros. Notably, the captain will play three more spring games before flying out to Houston.
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