Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Has Fractured Right Foot, Will be Re-Imaged in Two Weeks

The Yankees have lost one of their key contributors for the early going of the season.

Mar 11, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees will be without DJ LeMahieu for the foreseeable future.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that the 35-year-old infielder has a non-displaced bone fracture in his right foot, which he injured when fouling a ball off it during a spring training game. LeMahieu will be re-imaged in two weeks, effectively shutting him down for the time being.

DJ LeMahieu has a non-displaced bone fracture, Aaron Boone said. He will be re-imaged in 2 weeks.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 30, 2024

This is a shocking development, as the injury was originally thought to be a bone bruise; in fact, when LeMahieu received X-rays on the foot, they came back negative for a fracture. But with the swelling taking longer to subside than expected, the team sent him to get an MRI on Friday.

Given LeMahieu's importance to the team, losing him for an extended period of time is a brutal loss. What makes it even worse is that LeMahieu has now sustained yet another injury to his right foot; he previously suffered a broken big toe and a torn ligament in the adjacent toe in 2022, which ended his season.

After that injury, it took a while for LeMahieu to return to his regular production, as his swing mechanics were thrown into disarray. With a fracture to that same foot, it compounds the previous injury and further hurts his mechanics; the two-time batting champion may not be the same hitter again.

Fortunately, the Yankees have two options in Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti to fill the void at third base for now. The 25-year-old Cabrera has gotten off to a torrid start and recorded a four-hit performance in the second game of the year; if he continues his hot streak, he could become a regular even when LeMahieu comes back. As for Berti, he was acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday and is more than capable of filling LeMahieu's utility role, while also providing a contact bat and excellent speed on the basepaths.

But even with these options, replacing LeMahieu for possibly a good chunk of the year is a difficult challenge that the Yankees will need to overcome.