TAMPA, Fla. — In an unfortunate setback during his spring training debut, New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu suffered a left calf injury. LeMahieu, occupying the role of designated hitter, sustained the injury during his second at-bat in a game where the Yankees secured a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed concern over LeMahieu’s condition, saying, “That’s not ideal, just with all that he’s had to deal with. We’ll see what we have there, and we’ll see how significant it is. These soft tissue things have popped up on him, so it’s at least a little concerning.”
The 36-year-old LeMahieu has faced a challenging series of injuries, having concluded last season on the injured list due to a right hip issue. Earlier in the year, he missed several months after fracturing his right foot on a foul ball during spring training. These hurdles limited LeMahieu to just 67 games last season, where he posted a career-low batting average of .204, hitting only two home runs and driving in 26 runs.
LeMahieu, who is currently in the third year of a lucrative six-year, $90 million contract signed in 2021, was seen as the leading candidate to serve as the Yankees’ everyday third baseman. Should this injury sideline him for a significant period, the team will need Oswaldo Cabrera or Oswald Peraza to step up and cover the position.
