Yankees Benching of Struggling Infielder Could be Indefinite

The New York Yankees have benched one of their struggling infielders, which could be an indefinite move.

Jul 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) reacts after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have finally decided to give this struggling former batting champion a "breather."

Third baseman DJ LeMahieu sat on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays amid what has been a brutal season for him at the plate with an anemic .177 average and .472 OPS in 39 games since returning from a fractured foot in late-May.

But when asked by reporters whether this move would be just for one game or potentially longer, manager Aaron Boone said "we'll see."

The Yankees took a similar course of action with second baseman Gleyber Torres in late-June after a prolonged slump mixed with a lack of hustle forced Boone's hand. Torres has somewhat responded by hitting .288 in his last 15 games, but he's still not producing any power with zero homers, a .327 slugging-percentage and a .689 OPS during this span.

As for LeMahieu, he was accountable when speaking with the media on Sunday, saying, “(I) Feel good. Feel good enough to do my job.” He also cited his inconsistency at the plate this year.

That being said, it's pretty clear that the 36-year-old infielder isn't 100 percent healthy given his vast decline. And the broken foot this year wasn't a one-off lower body injury, as he has dealt with foot and toe ailments across the past two seasons as well.

LeMahieu is 0 for his last 17, which prompted Boone to roll with Oswaldo Cabrera in the Yankees' latest game.

The Yankees are likely trying to upgrade the third base position ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, but the options are slim. Luis Rengifo of the Los Angeles Angels makes sense, however, he is a negative defender at the hot corner.

LeMahieu re-signed with the Yankees on a six-year, $90 million deal ahead of the 2021 season, and is owed $30 million across the next two campaign.