Since joining the New York Yankees in January 2019, DJ Lemahieu has established himself as one of the MLB\’s most dependable middle infielders. DJ LeMahieu, though, appeared to be a shadow of his former self in the second part of the 2022 season. Due to hip and toe injuries, Lemahieu was unable to participate. But what does his injury mean for his place in the Yankees Bullpen?
DJ LeMahieu Chances In The Yankees Squad!
Late in the season, the Yankees were severely plagued by the injury bug and lost a number of important players to injuries. LeMahieu was one of them. He tried to play despite the agony, but his performance plummeted. A persistent toe ailment caused the Yankees infielder\’s 2022 season to be cut short in the second half. And he might not yet be safe from harm.
Just 42 games in the second part of the season saw DJ LeMahieu make an appearance. But he still managed a.635 OPS. In his first 83 games, he batted.286 with a.393 OPS. Nevertheless, it decreased to.240 and.308 in the second half of the year, respectively.
Lemahieu\’s toe injury, which prevented him from participating in the Yankees\’ postseason run, is still in question, according to recent comments made by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to reporters. And that it may be more than a month before he has some clarity about his condition. DJ LeMahieu may not require surgery for another six weeks, according to Cashman, who also predicted that the Yankees might not be aware of it.
Given how well Lemahieu has performed since joining in 2019, the Yankees will be extremely concerned about his health. In 470 games played during his time with the Yankees, he had a batting average of.296 with 58 home runs and 232 runs batted in, totaling 13.2 WAR. During the Yankees\’ World Series whitewash at the hands of the future World Series winner Houston Astros, his offensive threat was severely missed.
However, should DJ Lemahieu\’s ailment last for much longer than anticipated, the Yankees have enough depth in the infield to handle a potential loss. The Yankees have choices at the spots Lemahieu has frequently played. Including Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, and Josh Donaldson, who have a combined 6.7 WAR. The Yankees, however, will undoubtedly anticipate that the versatile infielder will be prepared when the 2023 season begins. But the offseason is only just getting started.