Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu gives rough injury timetable after MRI

The New York Yankees are preparing for the 2025 season. They recently received a difficult DJ LeMahieu injury update, however. The Yankees infielder said he is dealing with a grade 1 or 2 calf strain, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post. It seems likely that LeMahieu will begin the ’25 campaign on the injured list as a result.

LeMahieu has dealt with injury concerns in recent seasons. The 36-year-old has earned three All-Star selections in his MLB career. In 2024, though, he was limited to only 67 games played. LeMahieu’s performance dwindled while on the field as well.

The right-handed hitter recorded a .204/.269/.259/.527 slash line across 228 plate appearances. He added two home runs, five doubles and 26 RBI.

LeMahieu was in the conversation to earn the Yankees’ third base job this spring. Now, it appears he will begin the season on the injured list, adding to the uncertainty of his Yankees future.

One has to wonder if New York will consider moving on from LeMahieu. His salary will make that a challenging decision, though, since the veteran infielder will make $15 million in both 2025 and 2026. There is likely no trade market for LeMahieu at the moment, so the Yankees will probably either keep him on the roster or release him while continuing to pay his salary, and the salary element adds to the likelihood of LeMahieu remaining in New York.

The Yankees are hopeful that he can return from the injury sooner rather than later. Perhaps he can find his footing and produce respectable results following his return. In the end, DJ LeMahieu is still a quality veteran with plenty of experience at the big league level.

Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza are third base candidates for the Yankees with LeMahieu injured. A trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado could still potentially come to fruition as well.