SEATTLE — The New York Yankees plan to activate infielder DJ LeMahieu (calf, hip) from the injured list before Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park, manager Aaron Boone said Monday.
“I think he’s in a good spot,” Boone said.
LeMahieu is expected to be available off the bench Tuesday and start Wednesday at second base, Boone said. The Yankees are off Thursday. LeMahieu is expected to arrive in Seattle Monday night.
LeMahieu will likely get the majority of reps at second base, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. (oblique strain) not expected to return from the injured list for weeks. Chisholm went on the IL on May 2. On Monday, Boone said that Chisholm has been running and throwing and that he’ll likely hit off a tee for the first time Tuesday.
“The biggest thing is health,” Boone said. “DJ LeMahieu could fall out of bed and hit. I think the biggest thing that’s tripped him up over the years is just the nagging different injuries that have popped up in him, that have popped up and slowed him. Obviously, he’s older now, but I always feel like guys that can really hit like him, if you’re healthy, you can usually really hit late in your career. Hopefully he can come and be a real contributor for us.”
LeMahieu, 36, hasn’t played in a big-league game since Sept. 3. He finished last season on the IL with a right hip impingement, and then strained his left calf during his second at-bat of spring training.
LeMahieu played nine games during his rehab assignment, going 12-for-27 (.444). He played in back-to-back games for the first time this weekend with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LeMahieu had a cortisone shot in his right hip three weeks ago, but at the time, Boone called it precautionary.
“I want to be out there,” LeMahieu said when his rehab assignment began at Double-A Somerset on April 22. “I want to be healthy and helping the team. So when I can’t do that, it’s frustrating. But there’s a lot of season left and hopefully I can be a part of it.”
LeMahieu has been dealing with multiple injuries and inconsistency for years. He’s hit just .232 with a .663 OPS in 203 games since the start of 2023. He was once one of the best hitters in the game, winning batting titles in 2020 and 2016. He’s owed $15 million this season and next season.
Boone said that through watching his rehab at-bats, he hasn’t seen reason to doubt that LeMahieu can still play.
“The stuff I’ve been watching has been really good,” the manager said.
It’s unclear whose spot LeMahieu would take on the roster. It’s likely the team would demote infielder Jorbit Vivas, a rookie who has hit .158 in nine games this season.
(Photo: Kim Klement Neitzel / Imagn Images)