New York Yankees veteran third baseman DJ LeMahieu was one of the key contributors to the team’s horrendous slump in July. As the Bronx Bombers slipped 8-16 in a 25-game stretch heading into the All-Star break last week, the chorus for changes in the starting lineup grew stronger.
Meanwhile, despite unconditional backing from the Yankees, former two-time MLB batting champion hasn’t found his way back. He continues to slump and following a blowout loss to Rays on Saturday, manager Aaron Boone plugged the plug of DJ LeMahieu and even casted serious doubt on his future with the team as everyday staring infielder.
Yankees DJ LeMahieu Unlikely To Get Everyday Starts At Third Base!
In an interesting turn of events, the New York Yankees decided to bench DJ LeMahieu, their star infielder, following a prolonged slump that has raised questions about his future with the team. On Sunday, manager Aaron Boone replaced DJ with Oswaldo Cabrera at third base, thus giving in to the constant pressure of fans to call time on the veteran. LeMahieu had a late start to the season as he took 2 months to recover from a foot injury sustained in spring. However, since his return, LeMahieu has been abysmally unproductive. He is hitting .154 with a .472 OPS and just 1 extra-base hit in the month of July. Importantly, Boone cast major doubt on the possibility of LeMahieu becoming an everyday starter again this season.
Meanwhile, DJ LeMahieu gracefully adhered to Aaron Boone’s decision. He admitted that the past month wasn’t hopeful or enjoyable. Throughout his career, LeMahieu has overcome steep challenges by himself. Hence, he looks forward to maintaining that positive attitude and keeps showing up every day with the same hunger and passion for turning things around in his favor. “It’s just keep showing up and keep working and it’s gotten me a lot of success in my career,” LeMahieu said. Meanwhile, Oswaldo Cabrera pounced on his opportunity to go 2-for-4 with a run scored on Sunday against the Rays. He owns a 237/.286/.340 slash line with 5 home runs and 27 runs batted in this year. And with Jon Berti’s IL stint likely to be extended, Cabrera is expected to see an increase in opportunities at third base in the second half of the crucial phase of the season.
Aaron Boone Gets Ejected For Fifth Time This Season!
In a heated turn of events, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone saw himself out after plate umpire ejected him during Sunday’s game between Yanks and Rays. All hell broke loose in the seventh inning when Alex Verdugo was given out on a full fast ball count. However, the pitch appeared to hit low and hence Verdugo appealed against the decision.
Meanwhile, Aaron Boone lost his cool in the dugout and resorted to aggressive argument. The plate umpire had enough of him to avoid future confrontations, he ejected Boone on disciplinary actions. Notably, this is the Yankee skipper’s fifth ejection of the 2024 MLB season. He previously was ejected nine times in 2022 and tied for the high with seven tosses last year.
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