New York Yankees veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu has been out of action since spring training due to foot fracture. He is yet to make his season debut due to multiple setbacks in rehab recovery. DJ was scratched off from his initial rehab assignment last month due to relapse of swelling.
However, DJ LeMahieu is currently placed on a second rehab stint with Double-A Somerset Patriots. He is expected to finish the stint by the end of the week and immediately rejoin the Yankees roster where manager Aaron Boone has reserved a place for him at the third base.
DJ LeMahieu To Play Regular At Third Base Over Berti, Cabrera
The New York Yankees are expecting a big roster boost in the coming days as the veteran third baseman DJ LeMahieu is working on his final step toward imminent return. LeMahieu played a couple of rehab games on Sunday and Tuesday this week and is expected to play a couple more on the trot before manager Aaron Boone can reinstate him into the lineup after a prolonged wait of nearly 8 weeks. LeMahieu could make his season debut as early as the coming weekend on the West Coast trip. And interestingly, Boone already has a busy plan lined up for DJ. In a recent press conference, the Yankee manager confirmed that LeMahieu would play as a regular third baseman in the lineup upon return, replacing Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera.
“When DJ LeMahieu returns, he is expected to receive the bulk of playing time over Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera at third base,” said Boone. Notably, Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera never let the Yankees feel DJ LeMahieu’s void as they played their part in the offense. While Cabrera was seemingly the unofficial player of the month for the Yanks, Berti registered his first season home run on Sunday. However, Aaron Boone has decided to overlook everything and is ready to pencil LeMahieu as a regular third baseman upon return. That being said, Boone also confirmed that the veteran could also split time with Anthony Rizzo at first base on a few instances. Additionally, it would be interesting to see if DJ retains his spot as a leadoff hitter, as Anthony Volpe has had his moments of hits and misses so far.
Yankees Ace To Face Hitters In Substantial Recovery Step
Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees ace pitcher who is currently nursing a nerve inflammation injury, is reportedly set to take a huge step toward imminent return. Meredith Marakovits of YES Network says that Cole will be facing live hitters on Tuesday for the first time since getting diagnosed with an elbow injury.
Gerrit Cole has been steady so far in his recovery from nerve inflammation injury. He threw multiple bullpen session in this entire month and slowly built up without any extra stress. He is expected to be back by next month, given no further setbacks. Cole has also yet to debut this season, as he banged up his elbow during the spring.
Follow Sports News International for more news and updates about The New York Yankees and your favorite MLB team