DJ LeMahieu’s toe issue lands him on growing Yankees injured list

The Yankees hoped a number of days of relaxation might assist DJ LeMahieu handle his lingering proper toe irritation.

Now he’ll have a minimum of 10, if no more.

The staff positioned LeMahieu on the 10-day injured checklist Thursday, including to their rising checklist of harm woes, although there’s no assure that this prolonged interval of relaxation and therapy will clear up the infielder’s nagging toe problem.

Requested if any a part of him thought he could not get LeMahieu again this season, supervisor Aaron Boone didn’t rule it out.

“I’m involved about it, clearly, as a result of DJ’s been coping with this now for a number of weeks the place it’s clearly compromised him,” Boone mentioned earlier than the Yankees wrapped up a sequence with the Twins. “So yeah, there’s that concern. However there’s additionally hope with that. There hopefully are issues that, on high of this timeout, this relaxation, hopefully the issues they get to are issues that free it as much as the place he can get again to being actually productive for us.”

LeMahieu beforehand sat out three straight video games in August to attempt to deal with the toe problem. However after taking the remainder, receiving therapy and getting orthotics, the 34-year-old returned to motion hoping he would have the ability to handle it the remainder of the season.

DJ LeMahieu had been struggling on the plate as a consequence of a nagging toe harm.

Corey Sipkin

However the harm clearly continued to have an effect on LeMahieu on the plate. Over his final 20 video games, he was batting 10-for-78 (.128) with no extra-base hits and a .307 OPS, removed from the participant who has typically served as a key cog atop the Yankees’ lineup.

Boone had beforehand mentioned that the harm was not one that will essentially get higher with break day, however after LeMahieu tried to play by means of it with poor outcomes, the Yankees modified course.

“Simply because it hasn’t labored effectively sufficient,” Boone mentioned. “Hopefully feeling like this timeout, they’ll proceed to confer on programs of motion about what to take to the place we will get him to a degree to the place he’s the participant all of us count on. Taking part in by means of it, we haven’t been capable of get there. I do know they’re speaking about lots of various things they will presumably do. We’ll see the way it works.”

Boone talked about the potential for the infielder getting one other injection, after LeMahieu acquired a cortisone shot in the course of the All-Star break that quickly addressed the issue.

With LeMahieu not having performed since Sunday, the Yankees backdated his IL stint to Monday, which might make him eligible to be activated on Sept. 15 on the earliest. Nevertheless it stays to be seen whether or not he'll really be an possibility by then.

“I don’t assume it’s gotten any worse than the place it actually reared its head after we have been in Boston … earlier than he had these first few off days,” Boone mentioned. “As a result of it had gotten to a degree to the place he simply couldn’t bear it. So he hasn’t been at that time any time since, it’s simply been sore. It’s simply prevented him from actually getting off his swing.

“I believe it’s actually that ripping on the again facet. It’s not a ache tolerance factor essentially, as a result of particularly DJ, [he] is as robust as they arrive. He can cope with the ache. Nevertheless it’s simply one thing that forestalls him from actually torquing on that again facet, which compromises him sufficient to the place he’s not capable of actually drive the ball like he’s able to.”

Final 12 months, the Yankees misplaced LeMahieu to a sports activities hernia simply earlier than the ultimate weekend of the common season.

This 12 months, LeMahieu’s IL stint comes at a time when the Yankees are already with out Anthony Rizzo (complications following epidural injection), Andrew Benintendi (damaged hook of hamate bone), Matt Carpenter (damaged foot) and Harrison Bader (plantar fasciitis), along with a slew of pitchers.

With out LeMahieu, Rizzo and Carpenter, the Yankees’ solely choices at first base are Marwin Gonzalez and Ronald Guzman.

Miguel Andujar, who served because the twenty ninth man for Wednesday’s doubleheader, was referred to as again up from Triple-A to take LeMahieu’s roster spot.