HOUSTON — New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu has a non-displaced fracture on the top of his right foot, manager Aaron Boone told reporters before Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros. LeMahieu is on the 10-day injured list and remains in Tampa, Fla., at the team’s spring training complex while rehabbing.
LeMahieu underwent a second MRI on his foot Friday after the swelling subsided. Boone said LeMahieu needed an additional MRI because sometimes the swelling hides a potential break or fracture. LeMahieu will undergo additional imaging in two weeks so the team can get a better sense of how his foot is progressing. Initially, LeMahieu was diagnosed with a “pretty significant” bone bruise.
“It doesn’t really change much,” Boone said. “It’s kind of tolerance as he builds up. The last two days have been good. He hit in the cage (Friday). I know he feels a lot better. He’ll re-image it in two weeks to see where he’s at. But it shouldn’t stop him from progressing.”
Boone said the Yankees will not push LeMahieu back until he’s 100 percent cleared. Two years ago, LeMahieu played through a broken sesamoid bone in his right big toe that led to ligament damage in his second toe. His production at the plate cratered, and it wasn’t until the second half of last season that LeMahieu returned to expectations in the batter’s box.
The Yankees are not giving a possible timeline for LeMahieu, but Boone didn’t rule out an April return. In the meantime, the Yankees will continue using a combination of Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti as third-base options.
Through two games, Cabrera, along with Juan Soto, has been one of the team’s best hitters. Cabrera changed his approach at the plate in the middle of spring, in part by watching Soto work in the batting cage. Berti, acquired from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, has yet to make his Yankees debut.
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(Photo of DJ LeMahieu: New York Yankees / Getty Images)
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