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DJ LeMahieu

Latest On DJ LeMahieu

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6:23pm: LeMahieu experienced right foot soreness and was removed after one inning, the Yankees announced (X link via Joyce). He’ll return to New York for further evaluation tomorrow.

5:31pm: The Yankees announced that infielder DJ LeMahieu has been sent to Double-A Somerset to start a rehab assignment. LeMahieu is leading off tonight’s game and playing third base, per the X account of the Patriots.

LeMahieu, 35, was supposed to be the club’s everyday third baseman here in 2024 but a Spring Training injury scuttled those plans. The veteran fouled a ball of his foot and was initially diagnosed with a bone bruise. After the swelling didn’t go down, he went for a second MRI, which revealed a non-displaced fracture. He was set to begin a rehab assignment this past weekend but his foot still wasn’t healing enough and the rehab assignment was pushed back by a few days.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that the plan is for LeMahieu to play four games and possibly rejoin the Yanks in time for their series against the Orioles next week.

The club is surely excited to welcome LeMahieu back but they will have a bit of a tricky decision to make in terms of distributing playing time. The veteran has hit .258/.345/.375 since the start of 2021 while battling various injuries. That’s still amounts to a 106 wRC+, indicating he was six percent better than league average in that time. But the Yankees were surely hoping for more, especially since he hit .336/.386/.536 for a 146 wRC+ over 2019 and 2020, before they re-signed him to a six-year, $90MM contract.

To start this year, Oswaldo Cabrera has taken over at the hot corner and is out to a great start. He’s hitting .290/.324/.478 so far on the young season, production that leads to a wRC+ of 133. That’s a small sample of 74 plate appearances, which means it likely doesn’t carry as much weight as LeMahieu’s career numbers, but the Yanks probably want to keep riding the hot hand.

Each of Cabrera and LeMahieu are capable of playing different positions, so the club will have some flexibility. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and second baseman Gleyber Torres are both out to slow starts, so perhaps they could get some breathers when LeMahieu and Cabrera are both healthy and looking for playing time.

Elsewhere in Yankee news, Gerrit Cole threw 50 pitches from a distance of 120 feet today, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. It hasn’t yet been decided when he’ll move to mound work, but Boone said it could be as soon as next week, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post.

Needless to say, any progress from Cole is a good development for the Yankees. The reigning American League Cy Young made just one official appearance during Spring Training before some elbow issues popped up. Since he wasn’t recovering as expected between throwing sessions, the club shut him down and sent him for testing. He was eventually recommended for non-surgical rehab and has been on that path for the past month or so.

Cole is on the 60-day injured list and won’t be eligible to return until late May at the earliest. Even if he begins throwing off a mound soon, he’ll likely need to redo Spring Training from scratch, meaning he’ll be out beyond that timeframe anyhow. His eventual return date will naturally be determined by how his arm holds up as he continues building up in the weeks to come.

AL East Notes: Pivetta, LeMahieu, Tiedemann

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Nick Pivetta threw a bullpen session today, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) a rough timeline of when the righty might return from the right flexor strain that sent Pivetta to the 15-day injured list on April 6.  Cora outlined that Pivetta is around 10 days away from facing live hitters and then will get probably two minor league rehab starts, so if all goes well, Pivetta should be back in Boston’s rotation by around the middle of May.

There was some initial hope that Pivetta could miss just the minimum 15 days when he first went on the IL, yet it isn’t surprising that Pivetta and the Sox are showing extra precaution with a flexor injury.  Cora said that Pivetta “felt good today” after the bullpen, which is a nice first step in the recovery process.  The IL stint interrupted a great start to the season for the righty, who looked flat out dominant in posting an 0.82 ERA over his first two outings and 11 innings of the 2024 campaign.

Some items from around the AL East…

  • DJ LeMahieu was set to begin a minor league rehab assignment yesterday, but an MRI revealed that his right foot fracture hadn’t entirely healed.  The infielder could still begin his assignment as early as Tuesday, though “we’re just being conservative with this thing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told ESPN News Services and other media.  “He’s doing really well and I know he feels ready to go, but the foot specialist has weighed in.  We want to make sure this thing’s 100 percent.”  LeMahieu suffered the injury about a month ago after fouling a ball off his foot in Spring Training, and is healthy enough to partake in such baseball activities as batting practice and fielding drills, even if he hasn’t gotten the green light for rehab games just yet.
  • Blue Jays pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann underwent an MRI on Thursday to explore discomfort in his throwing elbow, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports (X link).  Tiedemann was already placed on the Triple-A injured list earlier this week, and perhaps ominously, there haven’t yet been any updates over the MRI results.  Shoulder and biceps problems limited Tiedemann to only 44 total minor league innings in 2023, and while a potential Major League debut is seemingly on the horizon for the southpaw this season, the Jays’ first priority is just rebuilding Tiedemann’s arm strength and getting him back in the groove of regular starting assignments.  Tiedemann is ranked as both Toronto’s top prospect and one of the better pitching prospects in all of baseball, though he has been shaky in posting a 5.63 ERA over three starts and eight innings for Triple-A Buffalo this season, with more walks (nine) than innings pitched.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Paxton, LeMahieu, Blue Jays

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The Red Sox largely failed in their pursuit of starting pitching this winter, swapping lefty Chris Sale out for Lucas Giolito only for the latter to miss the entire 2024 season due to a UCL injury, making right-handed depth options Chase Anderson and Cooper Criswell the club’s only starters added this winter with a chance to impact the 2024 club. The club coming up empty is not an indication they weren’t involved in the pitching market at all, however, with Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reporting that the club was a finalist for southpaw James Paxton, per the lefty himself.

Paxton, 35, spent the past two seasons in the Red Sox organization but only pitched in 2023. He made 19 starts for the club last year, pitching to a 4.50 ERA (101 ERA+) and 4.68 FIP overall. While he posted a strong 2.73 ERA and 3.63 FIP in ten starts prior to the All Star break, Paxton’s brutal final three starts in August and September caused his numbers to balloon as he allowed a whopping 17 runs in 9 2/3 innings of work before being shut down for the season due to knee inflammation.

Abraham relays that, according to the left-hander, there was mutual interest in a reunion between his camp and the Red Sox before he ultimately settled on pitching closer to his West Coast home in Seattle. Adding the veteran southpaw to Boston’s heavily young and right-handed rotation mix would have made plenty of sense for the club, but instead the team is set to rely on internal youngsters like Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck to round out the rotation alongside Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta.

More from around the AL East…

  • Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu spoke to reporters (including those at MLB.com) yesterday regarding his rehab from a non-displaced fracture in his right foot and provided a positive update, suggesting that he could be nearing a return to action. LeMahieu indicated that he’s “making progress” after running at roughly 90 percent effort and taking batting practice on the field at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. Per manager Aaron Boone, the next step for LeMahieu is further imaging later in the week before a potential minor league rehab assignment. If the veteran can avoid further setbacks, it’s possible he could return before the end of the month. In the meantime, the club figures to continue relying on Jon Berti and Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner.
  • Blue Jays manager John Schneider spoke to reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi) yesterday to provide an update on right-hander Erik Swanson, who started the season on the injured list due to a bout of forearm tightness last month. Per Schneider, Swanson is scheduled to be evaluated today after throwing a rehab inning at the Double-A level last night to decide if he’s ready to be activated when first eligible on Tuesday, though Davidi adds that Schneider indicated an additional rehab appearance is possible. If Swanson is to make another appearance in the minors before returning to the big league roster, it likely won’t come for a few days, as the right-hander is scheduled to be in Toronto for the club’s home opener tomorrow evening. Swanson joined the club during the 2022-23 offseason as part of the return in the Teoscar Hernandez trade and quickly established himself as the top set-up option for closer Jordan Romano, pitching to a 2.97 ERA with a 3.51 FIP in 69 appearances last year.

DJ LeMahieu Diagnosed With Fracture In Foot

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Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu opened the season on the injured list with what the team termed a foot contusion after he fouled a ball into himself late in camp. The team said yesterday he’d been slated for a second MRI because the swelling had taken so long to go down, and it appears this new round of imaging revealed a more notable injury. Manager Aaron Boone told the Yankees beat today that the new round of imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture (X link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks but is now clearly facing a lengthier absence than originally anticipated.

The Yankees made a late-spring trade to acquire utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins, sending catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Rays and outfield prospect John Cruz to the Marlins in a three-team swap. Berti’s presence on the roster will be all the more important now. The Yankees didn’t provide a timeline beyond that two-week reevaluation, but at the very least LeMahieu will be sidelined into late April — although an absence extending beyond that seems likely.

LeMahieu, 35, is in the fourth season of a six-year, $90MM contract. He came to spring training hoping to rebound from a down year at the plate, by his standards (.243/.327/.390, 101 wRC+), but he struggled in 29 spring plate appearances and will now face an prolonged absence to begin the year.

With LeMahieu and prospect Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) both on the injured list for what’s likely to be a notable period, the Yankees will use Berti and fellow utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner early in the season. Cabrera has started each of the team’s first two games and gotten out to a hot start, going 6-for-9 with a home run and a double.

Yankees Name Luis Gil Fifth Starter; DJ LeMahieu To Start Season On IL

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced to the club’s beat last night that right-hander Luis Gil will be the club’s fifth starter to open the season, with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com relaying video of his comments on X. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports today that right-hander Clayton Beeter has made the club, though Sherman adds it’s possible that a roster move in the coming days could lead to Beeter getting optioned (X links). Boone also says infielder DJ LeMahieu will start the season on the injured list, with Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News among those to relay the news.

A spot opened up at the back of the Yankee rotation with the recent injury to ace Gerrit Cole, who underwent various tests on his right elbow. Cole was recommended for non-surgical rehab for nerve inflammation and edema. Though it was surely good news that surgery wasn’t being recommended, the club would still need to figure out a plan to proceed without him for an undetermined amount of time, perhaps months.

Without Cole, four spots were taken by Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt, leaving one open for a camp battle. As time went on, it seemed to come down to Gil and prospect Will Warren, with Gil getting the gig yesterday. Shortly after Boone announced Gil got the final spot, Warren was reassigned to minor league camp.

Gil, 26 in June, had an encouraging major league debut late in the 2021 season, as he posted an earned run average of 3.07 in six starts. He struck out a strong 29.5% of batters faced, though he also gave out free passes at a 14.7% rate. He would have been looking to build on that in 2022 but unfortunately landed on the injured list after just one start and eventually required Tommy John surgery in May. That put him out of action for the remainder of that season and most of 2023 as well. He returned to official game action in the minors leagues late last year, logging four innings in September.

That will likely leave Gil with some kind of workload limit here in 2024, since he hardly pitched over the past two years. In 2021, he logged 29 1/3 innings in the majors and 79 1/3 in the minors for a combined total of 108 2/3, his highest in any season thus far. He had a 3.97 ERA in those minor league innings that year. The minor leagues were canceled in 2020, meaning he wasn’t able to pitch in any official capacity.

Taking all of that into consideration, Gil shouldn’t be counted on to suddenly shoulder 200 innings this year, but the Yanks will stick with him as long he’s in good form and will presumably make a decision about the workload later. He posted a 2.87 ERA this spring with a 37.7% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate. In January, it was reported that the Yankees were awarded a fourth option on Gil, meaning they can send him to the minors at some point down the road.

Warren, 25 in June, is one of the club’s best pitching prospects. He threw 129 innings last year between Double-A and Triple-A with a 3.35 ERA, then had a 3.52 ERA here in spring action. He’s not yet on the 40-man roster, so it would have been a little bit trickier to pick him over Gil. But given his larger innings tally last year, he could be called upon later in the season if Gil needs to be shut down or if someone else gets hurt.

As for Beeter, 25, he’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He was just added to the club’s roster in November, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He had a 3.62 ERA last year, over 131 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out 28.8% of batters though had a concerning walk rate of 13.1%. He’ll break into the majors out of the bullpen, presumably providing the club some long relief innings alongside veteran Luke Weaver.

On the position player side of things, it was reported a week ago that LeMahieu was questionable for Opening Day after fouling a ball off his foot. It doesn’t seem as though it’s a terribly serious injury, but it’s enough to keep him from being available to start the season. Opening Day IL stints can be backdated by three days, so it’s possible he will just miss a week if he’s able to get over the issue in short order.

Though it may not be a long absence, it’s still not ideal for the 35-year-old to be dealing with an injury yet again. He dealt with quad and calf soreness last year and produced a roughly league average line of .243/.327/.390, wRC+ of 101. The Yanks would obviously love to have more, especially since LeMahieu hit .336/.386/.536 over 2019 and 2020. Boone said LeMahieu looked “more explosive” back in February, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, though he’s now once again hobbled by an unfortunate ailment.

In the meantime, Oswaldo Cabrera could step into the everyday third base role, which will leave open a bench role for someone like Jahmai Jones or Kevin Smith. Cabrera hit .247/.312/.429 in 2022 but then dropped to .211/.275/.299 last year, that latter line translating to a wRC+ of just 60. Smith isn’t on the 40-man roster but the Yanks could transfer Cole or Oswald Peraza to the 60-day injured list to open a spot. Peraza is going to be out of action for six to eight weeks due to a shoulder strain.

As clubs around the league cut down their rosters, there are plenty of guys getting cut loose who may pique the interest of the Yankees. As mentioned up top with Beeter, he could wind up getting optioned if the Yankees find a pitcher they like on waivers or someone entering free agency via a release or opt-out. The same could perhaps be true of their bench, as Cabrera steps in for LeMahieu.

DJ LeMahieu Questionable For Opening Day

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided reporters, including Greg Joyce of The New York Post, with an update today regarding DJ LeMahieu. The infielder fouled a ball off his right foot recently and Boone says LeMahieu has a “pretty significant” bone bruise and won’t be playing through it for the time being. With Opening Day now just over a week away, it’s unclear if LeMahieu will be ready in time.

LeMahieu, 35, is coming off a frustrating season. He didn’t go on the injured list last year but did battle through quad and calf soreness while hitting .243/.327/.390 for a wRC+ of 101. Just over a month ago, Boone was excited about LeMahieu’s improved health at the opening of camp. “He’s just more explosive to me,” Boone said, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Unfortunately, there now may be a snag in seeing that explosiveness in the regular season.

Even if LeMahieu misses some early time in the season, it may not be much. Opening Day injured list stints can be backdated by three days, so he might only miss a week if he’s put on the 10-day IL. It’s nonetheless a situation worth monitoring as it could leave them with a temporary hole at third base.

LeMahieu is slated to be the club’s everyday option at the hot corner, with Anthony Volpe, Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo filling out the rest of the infield. The club was looking to bolster its veteran infield depth, having recently been connected to players like Enrique Hernández and Amed Rosario, though those players have now signed with the Dodgers and Rays, respectively.

The plan with signing either of those two would have involved Oswald Peraza getting optioned to the minors for regular reps, ready to be recalled for more regular playing time if an injury occurred. That won’t be an option now as Peraza himself got injured by suffering a shoulder strain that will shut him down for six to eight weeks.

As it currently stands, the Yanks have Oswaldo Cabrera, Jahmai Jones and Jorbit Vivas as depth infielders on their roster. Cabrera had an exciting debut in 2022 but hit just .211/.275/.299 last year. Jones was just claimed off waivers three weeks ago while Vivas has not yet made his major league debut and was optioned to Triple-A after today’s game. Players like Josh VanMeter, Jeter Downs and Kevin Smith are in camp as non-roster invitees though each of them has struggled against big league pitching.

The end of Spring Training usually shakes a few players loose, as roster decisions are made around the league. For instance, veteran infielder Josh Harrison just opted out of his minor league deal with the Reds after being informed he wasn’t going to make the team. The Yankees could turn to Harrison or some other player in the coming days if they feel they need an extra body to cover for a LeMahieu absence.

Infielders like Donovan Solano and Evan Longoria remain unsigned. The Yankees are facing a 110% tax on any addition to their payroll at this point, as a third-time payor that’s over the fourth line of the competitive balance tax, but those guys won’t require huge sums to put pen to paper. The position player market has seemingly collapsed in recent weeks, with players like Hernández, Rosario, Gio Urshela and others signing for less than $5MM in guaranteed money.

Ultimately, the bigger concern might be the season-long performance, as opposed to any week-long absence. The 2023 Yankees were hampered by health problems, as Aaron Judge was only able to play 106 games due to IL stints while veterans like LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo struggled while dealing with various ailments.

Health is already in the spotlight for the Yanks as ace Gerrit Cole is set to miss significant time due to an elbow issue. Even before that situation cropped up, they knew they were going to need some bounceback campaigns from those veterans. They will therefore want to make sure LeMahieu is as healthy and productive as possible, which is perhaps why Boone is now suggesting he won’t be playing through this issue. The club may need to look to alternatives at third base until LeMahieu is back to being explosive again.

Boone: LeMahieu Will Be Yankees’ Third Baseman In 2024

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As trade rumblings surrounding star Padres outfielder Juan Soto and the Yankees look to be nearing a tipping point, there’s other significant news in the Bronx as well. Manager Aaron Boone announced at the Winter Meetings this morning that veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu will line up as the team’s primary third baseman next season (link via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Boone indicated yesterday that an outside acquisition at third base wasn’t likely, as the team felt covered with internal options. Today’s statement is a more forceful declaration of that likelihood.

LeMahieu, 35, is entering the fourth season of a six-year $90MM contract. He’s bounced around the diamond since originally arriving in New York in the 2018-19 offseason, spending considerable time at every infield position other than shortstop. Third base was his primary position in 2023, however, as he logged nearly 600 innings there and turned in a sound defensive effort in the eyes of Defensive Runs Saved (3), Ultimate Zone Rating (3.2) and Outs Above Average (3).

The remainder of the Yankees’ infield looks largely set. Anthony Rizzo will return to man first base, while Gleyber Torres is entering his final arbitration season and lined up as the primary second baseman. Anthony Volpe had an up-and-down rookie season at shortstop, ultimately putting together a 20-20 season with good defense but an underwhelming .209/.283/.383 batting line on the whole. Prospect Oswald Peraza gives the Yankees some additional depth at any position other than first base, but with no clear path to a starting role at present, he could open the season in a utility role, covering multiple spots on the diamond and spelling the regulars. (Peraza is out of minor league options and thus cannot be sent to Triple-A.) The versatility offered by both Peraza and LeMahieu would allow the Yankees to rather seamlessly cover an absence anywhere in the infield.

The 2023 season wasn’t LeMahieu’s best at the plate — far from it — but he still turned in a roughly average (by measure of wRC+) .243/.327/.390 batting line with 15 home runs, 22 doubles and three triples. The veteran infielder walked at a strong 10.7% clip, the second-highest mark of his career, but also fanned at a career-worst 22.2%. LeMahieu didn’t expand the zone any more than he did in seasons prior — he actually improved his chase rate from 2022 to 2023 — but his contact rate on both strikes and balls off the plate dipped.

LeMahieu entered the 2023 season with a lifetime 92.7% contact rate on swings at pitches in the zone but saw that number drop to 89.8% last year. His contact rate on the relatively rare chases off the plate was more concerning; LeMahieu entered 2023 with a career 76.1% contact rate on balls off the plate (including a nearly 80% mark from 2020-22) but made contact on just 70.2% of such offerings last year. He remained productive against fastballs (four-seamers and sinkers alike) but saw his numbers against opponents’ sliders, sweepers and cutters take a big hit. Time will tell whether that’s the beginning of a more alarming trend or simply a one-year aberration.

With regard to the remainder of the offseason, LeMahieu’s formal anointment as the Yankees’ everyday third baseman is of note. The Yankees already acquired Alex Verdugo from the archrival Red Sox and are ostensibly deep in talks for the aforementioned Soto. That would constitute a major revamp of the outfield alignment, but it seems there’ll be more continuity in the infield. Torres has been floated as a possible trade candidate at various points, and Peraza’s presence could embolden the Yankees to make some kind of move if the right opportunity presented itself. But Torres was also the team’s second-best hitter behind Judge this past season, and the Yankees would surely only swap him out if it meant acquiring immediate MLB help elsewhere (be it in the rotation, behind the plate or possibly in the ’pen).

Yankees Notes: Third Base, Kiner-Falefa, Peralta

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After landing Alex Verdugo from their arch-rival Red Sox in a rare trade between the sides earlier this evening, the Yankees still figure to look for upgrades to a lineup that ranked 19th in the majors with a 94 wRC+ in 2023 despite another fantastic season from team captain Aaron Judge, who slashed .267/.406/.613 with 37 home runs in just 106 games this season. Those upgrades don’t appear likely to come in the form of an addition at third base, however, as GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) earlier today that the club feels “covered” around the infield and does not consider third base to be an area of need this offseason.

While the Yankees figure to return Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe as established regulars at first base, second base, and shortstop respectively, the hot corner features a little more uncertainty next season. Yankees third basemen slashed a collective .225/.302/.361 this past season, good for an 85 wRC+ that ranked better than just eight teams in 2023. Veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu took most of the club’s reps at the hot corner last season with 67 starts, though each of Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera also contributed as the Yankees mixed-and-matched at the position.

With Donaldson and Kiner-Falefa both having departed the organization, that would seemingly leave LeMahieu in line to receive the most reps at the position once again in 2024. The 35-year-old veteran just completed the third season of his six-year, $90MM contract with the Yankees. LeMahieu got roughly league average results (101 wRC+) at the plate in 2023 with a .243/.327/.390 slash line in 136 games. While LeMahieu’s 15 home runs tied his 2018 total with the Rockies for the second-highest of his career in a single season, the added power came at the cost of discipline. LeMahieu struck out at a career-high 22.2% clip this past season, well above both his career average of 15.2% and the 13.1% mark he posted in 2022.

Despite the additional whiffs as LeMahieu enters his mid-thirties, the veteran is likely still the club’s best option at the hot corner entering the year as both Cabrera and Peraza are coming off disastrous offensive seasons at the plate. While Peraza performed solidly at the Triple-A level with a 108 wRC+ in 300 plate appearances, the 23-year-old looked over-matched in the big leagues with a meager .191/.267/.272 slash line in a 52 games in the majors. Cabrera, meanwhile, appeared in 115 games for the Yankees as a utility player and struggled similarly across 330 big league plate appearances, slashing just .211/.275/.299 in that time.

Even as Cashman suggests the club is set at third with their internal options, Hoch reports that the club is at least considering adding one more bat to their infield mix: Kiner-Falefa. Jon Heyman of the New York Post echoes Hoch’s report of interest in bringing IKF back to the Bronx, but makes clear that the Yankees are far from alone in their interest in the utilityman; Heyman suggests that as many as 12 teams have interest in Kiner-Falefa’s services this offseason. The 28-year-old doesn’t contribute much at the plate, as he posted an 82 wRC+ in 2023 that nearly matches his career mark of 81, but he makes up for that lack of offensive ability with strong glovework all around the diamond.

Kiner-Falefa began his big league career as a backup catcher, though he hasn’t appeared behind the plate since the 2019 season. Since then, he’s proved to be an elite defensive infielder, winning a Gold Glove at third base in 2020 while offering strong defense at shortstop as well. IKF further expanded his defensive profile in 2023, appearing in 78 games on the outfield grass including 278 1/3 defensive innings of work in center field. While Kiner-Falefa’s strongest defensive marks come on the infield dirt, he posted a respectable +1 OAA and -1 DRS in center this season, potentially making him an attractive bench piece for teams in need of defensive versatility.

IKF isn’t the only outgoing free agent the Yankees reportedly have interest in retaining, as both Heyman and Hoch suggest the club has discussed a reunion with lefty reliever Wandy Peralta. Peralta, 32, has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues splitting time between three organizations but saw his career reach a new level since joining the Yankees partway through the 2021 season. Across 165 appearances in pinstripes, Peralta posted a 2.82 ERA that was 49% better than league average by measure of ERA+, though his 4.00 FIP leaves something to be desired. Advanced metrics are particularly critical of Peralta’s 2023 campaign. Despite a sterling 2.83 ERA in 54 innings, the southpaw posted a 5.05 FIP, 4.50 xFIP and 4.44 SIERA this past season.

Much of that disparity is thanks to a whopping 13.2% walk rate that was papered over in terms of Peralta’s raw run prevention numbers thanks to a microscopic .218 BABIP allowed and a career-high 85.2% strand rate. Despite those red flags, however, Peralta has gotten results in each of the past four seasons with a 3.01 ERA dating back to the start of the 2020 season. Much of that success has been thanks to Peralta’s excellence against left-handed hitters, to whom he’s surrendered a slash line of just .213/.308/.330 throughout his big league career. That’s surely a particularly attractive trait for the Yankees, who currently sport just two left-handed relief options on their 40-man roster in Nick Ramirez and Matt Krook.

Yankees Place Anthony Rizzo On IL With Post-Concussion Syndrome

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The Yankees are placing first baseman Anthony Rizzo on the injured list today, with Aaron Boone telling reporters that Rizzo has a “likely” concussion. He says the club has traced this to a collision he had with Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres on May 28, per Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports. Rizzo passed concussion protocol at the time but recently complained of fogginess, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. He will be evaluated week to week while Jake Bauers and DJ LeMahieu handle first base, per Hoch. The club has now made it official, listed Rizzo’s ailment as post-concussion syndrome. Infielder/outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera was recalled in a corresponding move.

It’s an unusual injured list move, as players with concussions or concussion-like symptoms usually find themselves out of action in the immediate aftermath of the event in question. In this instance, the Yankees seem to believe Rizzo is being impacted by something that happened over two months ago. The play in question can be seen in this video, relayed on Twitter by Talkin’ Baseball. The slow motion replay appears to show Tatis, while attempting to get back to first on a pickoff throw from the catcher, make contact with Rizzo’s head via his hip. Rizzo then appears visibly dizzy in the moments after.

Rizzo was removed from that game and sat out the club’s next three contests, but was back in the lineup June 2. He’s hit .172/.271/.225 in 192 plate appearances since that collision, which perhaps lends credence to the idea that he has been affected in some way. Still, it seems strange on the surface that it took over two months to hone in on a diagnosis. Rizzo himself tells Hoch that he was more tired of late but thought it was just due to the typical grind of the season. He added that he would sometimes wake up feeling hungover and forget the number of outs during games. “I didn’t just forget how to do this all of a sudden,” he said, in reference to his declining results. It seems the situation is still evolving, with the club planning to reevaluate Rizzo regularly in the weeks to come in order to navigate a path forward.

Rizzo’s struggles have been just one part of a fairly tepid Yankee offense this year, as they were also without Aaron Judge for almost two months. He was on the IL from early June to late July thanks to a right great toe sprain. Overall, the club is hitting .231/.302/.404 for a wRC+ of 95 this year, with that mark placing them 21st out of the 30 clubs in the majors.

There are lots of moving pieces in the position player mix now, with Judge back but having served as the designated hitter recently. That’s pushed Giancarlo Stanton into the outfield alongside players like Bauers, Harrison Bader, Billy McKinney, Greg Allen and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. LeMahieu and Kiner-Falefa have also been splitting third base with Josh Donaldson on the injured list, but it seems like Bauers and LeMahieu will now be covering first as well. Cabrera should be able to be plugged in wherever needed, as he’s played all four infield positions and the outfield corners.

MLBTR Poll: Yankees’ Third Base Situation

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The Yankees put up a three spot in the bottom of the eighth this afternoon, pulling out a comeback series win over the AL West-leading Rangers. It was a solid weekend that puts New York at 43-35 and in possession of the second Wild Card spot in the American League.

Despite taking two out of three from Texas, the Yanks didn’t do much to quiet concern about their offense. New York scored a combined eight runs and hasn’t topped five runs in a game in nearly two weeks. With Aaron Judge still facing an uncertain timeline after tearing a ligament in his right big toe, the Yankees are trying to find more punch in the lineup.

The offense is struggling essentially 1-9. No team has scored fewer runs since Judge’s last appearance on June 3. Among the biggest problem areas: third base, where the Yankees have gotten a .111/.164/.317 line (not including today’s game) since Judge’s IL stint and a .189/.260/.351 showing on the season overall.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Yankee brass could’ve reasonably attributed that brutal production to injury. Josh Donaldson had an underwhelming first season in the Bronx, but his .222/.308/.374 slash last year was still markedly better than the production they’ve gotten out of the position this season. Donaldson had been limited to five games before suffering a hamstring strain that kept him out of action until June 1. Manager Aaron Boone indicated in late May the Yankees would plug Donaldson back into the everyday lineup upon his return.

They mostly did so, starting him at third or designated hitter for 13 of their first 17 games this month. Donaldson returned from injury with a huge slump, hitting only .128/.208/.447 in 53 plate appearances. An .033 batting average on balls in play obviously isn’t doing him any favors, but he has hit almost no line drives as he tries to get back into form.

Considering those struggles, Donaldson’s status as a regular is now in question. He wasn’t in the lineup for any of the three games against Texas. DJ LeMahieu took a pair of third base starts, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa got the nod in the other contest. Boone stopped short of declaring it a benching, at least publicly. “He’s going to (get consistent playing time),” the skipper told reporters after today’s game (link via Chris Kirschner of the Athletic). “This is just a stretch where I felt like I wanted to give him a couple of days to kind of work through. That was just kind of my decision on that through this little stretch, but I expect him to get consistent at-bats.”

How consistently the former MVP will find himself in the lineup remains to be seen, though the Yankees haven’t had any alternatives forcing their way into the mix. LeMahieu is having his worst year since landing in the Bronx, hitting .230/.286/.387 through 255 trips to the plate. Kiner-Falefa has been spending more time in the outfield this year; he’s not hitting any better than LeMahieu, posting a .239/.275/.358 line. Oswaldo Cabrera has been even worse and has bounced on and off the active roster a few times of late.

Aside from the rest of the primary starters — Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe — the only other infielder on the 40-man roster is Oswald Peraza. The top prospect impressed in a late-season cup of coffee last year but struggled in his limited MLB time in 2023. He’s having an excellent year in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, raking at a .292/.360/.563 clip with 11 homers and steals apiece in 34 games. He’s not walking much but has kept his strikeouts to a tidy 14.9% rate.

Peraza hasn’t played in a week with an undisclosed injury. Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune reported (on Twitter) yesterday that it’s a minor ailment and Peraza is expected back in the lineup before long. He’s only made seven starts at third base between the majors and Triple-A, but as a well-regarded defensive shortstop, he shouldn’t have much issue handling the hot corner.

One could also make a case for the Yankees to turn to Peraza over Volpe at shortstop. Boone, owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman have all remained steadfast in their support for Volpe in spite of his tough rookie season. Perhaps third base represents a cleaner path for the 23-year-old Peraza, though there’d be risk in counting on rookies at both left side infield spots.

There’s also the possibility of adding an upgrade from outside the organization. Trade activity doesn’t typically kick off in earnest until mid-late July. The Angels jumped the market for a pair of stopgap veteran infielders over the past few days, so it’s not an impossible task. There aren’t a ton of clear targets for infield-needy teams, however.

Jeimer Candelario is the only impending free agent third baseman who’s performing well on a noncompetitive team. The rental market is similarly bleak at shortstop and second base, so there aren’t any obvious candidates for a post-acquisition position change. Unless the Rockies surprisingly listen to offers on Ryan McMahon this summer, there probably won’t be any marquee trade possibilities at the position.

Where does that leave the front office and coaching staff? Who should get the bulk of the third base playing time at Yankee Stadium?

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