If Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton had not beaten DJ LeMahieu to the injured list, the second baseman would still be bummed about not being able to play due to a scattered left thumb.
That Judge and Stanton are out too makes injury treatment more difficult for the Yankees’ most complete hitter and another example of LeMahieu’s team-first attitude, which is a big hit in the clubhouse and the manager’s office.
LeMahieu hit over .400 when he suffered the injury on Saturday when he made an awkward swing. But when asked Wednesday before the Rays-Yankees game at Yankee Stadium about being frustrated because he was off to a great start, LeMahieu quickly shifted the focus elsewhere.
“It’s frustrating because Judgie and Big G are out,” said LeMahieu of the outside planners, who are nursing calf and hamstring injuries respectively. ‘Kind of bad timing, but it’s frustrating, I’m proud to be there every day and ready to go. If you can not, it sucks. ”
Since LeMahieu joined the IL, the Yankees took two straight from the rousing Red Sox and made a 6-3 decision to the Rays on Tuesday night at the Stadium. In those three games, Aaron Boone started Tyler Wade on second in the first two again and Thairo Estrada on second in the third one and had Estrada on second Wednesday night.
LeMahieu had his thumb examined by three doctors and the prognosis was that he would be defeated in two to three weeks.
‘It’s pretty painful, but a lot better, this is now the third or fourth day and a lot better,’ ‘LeMahieu said. ‘We haven’t talked about swinging yet. I walked into the field [Wednesday] just try to do as much as possible. A few different doctors said two to three weeks. Try to print it of course. ”
As Rockie in 2018, LeMahieu was at the IL from May 14 to June 1 with a left thumb problem. Because a baseball player does everything but turns his hands, LeMahieu was asked if he had any problems two years ago.
‘No, I was pretty good at going. I expect sort of the same thing with this. The last time I did it there was a bit of a break in and this time it is not, ” LeMahieu said. “I hope to return soon and fully.” ‘
LeMahieu said getting an injection was discussed but not controlled.
“There was quite a bit of improvement after the first few days,” LeMahieu said of preventing a shot taken to reduce inflammation.
With the judge an opportunity to retire from the IL on Saturday, the first day he is eligible, the Yankees would get a big bat back. Like LeMahieu, Stanton is nowhere near back.
Beyond being a very important part of the lineup – he hits leadoff and delivers power and runs the production from the top spot – LeMahieu has a personal interest in playing well when he returns, as he returns to the World Series can become a free agent.
The thumb injury in 2018 combined with a scratch problem that also landed him on the IL, resulted in what for LeMahieu was a down year, as he batted .276 in 128 games. That affected his market for free agents, and with the Rockies looking to spend big on Nolan Arenado, they saw LeMahieu accept a two-year deal for $ 24 million from the Yankees.
With an average of .327 and careers in homers (26) and RBIs (102), it turned out that the first year was a steal for the Yankees, who saw LeMahieu finish fourth in the AL MVP poll.
With baseball against colossal financial losses due to the COVID-19-affected season, there is no telling what the 32-year-old LeMahieu will command on the market this time around.
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