Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Dealing With Bruised Foot, Might Not Be Ready for Opening Day

One of the Yankees' best hitters is questionable for the season opener on March 28.

The last thing the New York Yankees need is another injury to one of their key players.

Infielder DJ LeMahieu, who injured his left foot on Saturday after fouling a ball off of it, managed to avoid the worst-case scenario as X-rays came back negative for a fracture. However, the foot is still bruised and he will miss some spring training games as a result.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an update on LeMahieu during a mid-game interview on Monday with the YES Network crew. 

"[He's] still pretty sore but moving around a lot better," Boone said. "I definitely think it's going to cost him some days here."

DJ LeMahieu (foot) is "still pretty sore but moving around a lot better," Aaron Boone said on @YESNetwork. "I definitely think it's going to cost him some days here."

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 18, 2024

After the game, however, Boone said the bruise was "significant", and is not sure if the All-Star infielder will be ready for Opening Day, despite calling the expectation "reasonable."

"We're going to listen to the foot", Boone added.

DJ LeMahieu has “a pretty significant bone bruise” on his right foot, according to Aaron Boone, who is not sure if LeMahieu will have enough time to be ready for Opening Day.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 18, 2024

This certainly isn't what the Yankees want, as the 35-year-old LeMahieu has been hampered by foot ailments over the past couple of seasons. These injuries have also prematurely ended his 2021 and 2022 seasons, which severely hurt the team in subsequent postseason runs.

When LeMahieu is at full strength, he is an exceptional contact hitter (the best on the team) with great on-base skills, consistently hammering the ball to the opposite field. He has enjoyed brilliant 2019 and 2020 seasons, winning the batting title in the latter, and still provides a significant spark to the team out of the leadoff spot when healthy. LeMahieu also has fantastic positional versatility, being capable of playing at all three bases in a pinch. 

Unfortunately, LeMahieu has tried to play through the foot injuries he sustained in both 2021 and 2022, and subsequently looked lost at the plate. The latter injury may have carried over into the first few months of the 2023 season as well, resulting in lagging production until after the All-Star break.

It is still possible for LeMahieu to recover in time for Opening Day, but considering his foot injuries in the past, the Yankees should avoid having him play through it at all costs. Regardless, considering how much LeMahieu brings to the table, losing him to injury again is one of the worst-case scenarios for the team.