Over the weekend, the double-A affiliate Somerset Patriots had a new but familiar face in their clubhouse. 36-year old DJ LeMahieu embarked on a rehab assignment for a calf injury suffered in Spring Training.
After a few weeks of uncertainty regarding his status to begin the season, LeMahieu made a loud statement in his return to the diamond. In four games with Somerset, the veteran infielder went 6-for-10 at the plate, showcasing the smooth, “slap-hitter” swing fans came to love during the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. LeMahieu drove in three runs, smacked a home run, and played 22 clean innings at second base in his action. All signs point to LeMahieu being healthy for a big-league return. “It felt great getting back out there,” LeMahieu said after his fourth rehab game, “Everything felt good this week.”
LeMahieu’s injury occurred on March 1st, when he felt a “tweak” in his left calf running down first-base line after a pop out to second in the fourth inning (CJ Haddad, mlb.com). This setback has become all-too-familiar to Yankee fans of late, as the once MVP finalist has suffered all kinds of wrist, toe, quad, hip and now calf injuries since the start of the 2022 season. This void in the infield gave way to Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes finding their way onto the opening day roster, but both have been below average to begin the season. A recent injury to Jazz Chisholm has also left him with day-to-day status.
While most fans consider LeMahieu to be an asset to the team, many wish the Yankees would go a different route than the veteran bat. Fighting through numerous injuries in 2024, LeMahieu tallied just 67 games, and had unsatisfactory numbers across the board. His power was evidently down, slugging a putrid .259, and the guy that once hit for a .327 average in a full season was staring down the Mendoza line.
However, LeMahieu’s glove for sure remains an asset. LeMahieu was the first ever recipient of the AL’s “Utility” Gold Glove Award in 2022, and even in his recent injury riddled seasons, he has averaged about 5 OAA (outs above average) in the field according to Baseball Savant. His defensive versatility with ability to play first, second, and third base at a high level gives manager Aaron Boone plenty of flexibility in late-game scenarios and rest days for other starters.
The team expects the veteran to record about twenty more at-bats to close his rehab assignment. Though no official return date has been set, LeMahieu’s successful start to his rehab assignment puts him on track to join the first-place Yankees in the coming weeks.
The Yankee Office 
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