Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Diagnosed With Sports Hernia
In this story:
NEW YORK — DJ LeMahieu has been in and out of the lineup over the last several days, clearly banged up as the regular season comes to a close.
It turns out that LeMahieu is dealing with more than just typical soreness after carrying a heavy workload all year long.
LeMahieu has a sports hernia, per manager Aaron Boone.
"He's gonna have to take care of it after the season," Boone said Saturday morning before the penultimate game of the regular season. "He had an injection for it yesterday."
That injection was a cortisone shot, explaining why LeMahieu was unavailable during Friday night's crushing loss to the Rays. Boone is hopeful the injection provides LeMahieu some relief, making him an emergency asset off the bench on Saturday and available for the Yankees going forward into October.
Either way, Boone seemed confident that LeMahieu will play again before New York's season comes to an end at some point over the next several days or weeks.
With the Yankees sending right-hander Albert Abreu back to Triple-A on Saturday, New York recalled infielder Andrew Velazquez to help provide some depth as LeMahieu positions himself for a return to the lineup. Velazquez starts at shortstop on Saturday, allowing Gio Urshela to return to third base while Gleyber Torres continues to play second.
As much as LeMahieu has had a down season for his standards, after two MVP-caliber campaigns in 2019 and 2020, he's been New York's most durable position player. LeMahieu leads the team with 150 games played this season, batting .268/.349/.362 with 10 home runs and 57 RBI.
Depending on how LeMahieu feels on Saturday, Boone didn't rule out the infielder playing on Sunday, the 162nd game of the year. While the Yankees' magic number is one to get into the playoffs, winning both games over Tampa Bay this weekend is a must if the Bombers want to secure home-field advantage in Tuesday's American League Wild Card game.
"I don't know what he's doing this morning as far as how active they have him," Boone added. "We'll see as the game gets going, as he gets moving around a little bit, what kind of potential option he would be."
LeMahieu came out of Thursday's victory over the Blue Jays early. He also sat one of New York's three games in Boston last weekend. At the time, Boone had described LeMahieu's situation as a "hip/groin" issue.
Asked if the injury is getting worse, Boone said there are days where LeMahieu feels better and is able to manage discomfort. There are also instances where the sports hernia limits him too much, preventing him from playing at his best.
"There's been days where it's a little bit better and he can manage it," Boone explained. "He's about as tough as they come. So, he's able to manage and govern himself just about as well as anyone. But he's also honest and there's certain times where he just can't press through."
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
