-
Jorge Castillo, ESPN Editor
NEW YORK — Back in March, New York Yankees baseball team was determined that DJ LeMahieu will hit the opening ball first Juan Soto And Aaron JudgeThey are confident the two-time batting champion will bounce back from three poor and injury-plagued seasons.
Four months later, after battling a serious foot injury and struggling almost daily at bat, LeMahieu is no longer the setter the Yankees envisioned. He was benched last Sunday. Tampa Bay Rayswith Oswaldo Cabrera start at third base.
LeMahieu, in the fourth year of a six-year, $90 million contract, has been one of the worst hitting regulars in the major leagues since joining the Yankees in late May and has recently been New York’s No. 9 hitter, at the back of a lineup in dire need of stability beyond Soto and Judge.
LeMahieu, 35, entered Sunday’s game with a .177 batting average and a .471 on-base plus hard-hit percentage in 39 games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday’s game that LeMahieu likely won’t be in the lineup next week.
“We’ll see,” Boone said. “Let’s get through today, and we’ll see where we are.”
Boone hinted on Friday that LeMahieu would not start Sunday’s series finale. But then Boone said on Saturday that he believes LeMahieu has “earned” the right to play during a two-month slump.
“It sucks. It’s not fun,” LeMahieu said. “I would say our team is a special team. Coming out with a special team, a special group definitely keeps me going.”
LeMahieu has been even worse over the past month, hitting .156/.250/.203 with three extra-base hits. That line drew boos from fans on both Friday and Saturday, when he went a combined 0-for-7 with two strikeouts.
“I mean, it hasn’t given me much hope over the last month,” LeMahieu said. “As long as I’ve played this game, no matter what challenges have come up, I’ve always overcome them, one way or another. So just keep showing up and keep working and it’s brought me a lot of success in my career.”
LeMahieu missed the first month of the season with a fracture in his right foot after he fouled a pitch that hit him in the leg during a spring training game in March. But like he has done since joining the Yankees, LeMahieu insisted Sunday that he is healthy.
“I feel fine,” he said. “I feel well enough to do my job.”
Production is not good enough for a club with championship ambitions in the battle for the American League East title with Baltimore Orioles. According to league sources, the Yankees are looking to upgrade at third base, along with other areas, ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
“I’m not going to talk about that,” LeMahieu said. “But I know for sure I want to add as many good players as I can because, like I said, we have a special group.”
