Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Has Produced This Concerning Stat Since Return From Injury

Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu has had trouble in this area, specifically, since returning from a broken foot.

Jun 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) hits an RBI sacrifice bunt against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It might be time for the New York Yankees to seriously consider making a substantial move to upgrade one of the corner spots in their infield at the trade deadline.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo has put together a solid week since the Yankees benched him in back-to-back games last Sunday and Monday. In his last four contests, Rizzo has collected four hits, clubbed a home run, tallied four RBIs and racked up four walks.

But at the other corner spot in the infield, third baseman/utility infielder DJ LeMahieu is not coming around at the plate as of yet, and there was a concerning statistic about his recent hitting numbers that was shared on Saturday night. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, LeMahieu only has five balls that he has hit that have traveled at least 300-feet this season. That is worrisome after the 35-year-old came off the IL on May 28 after fracturing his foot at the end of Spring Training.

LeMahieu was red-hot in the second-half of last season under Yankees interim hitting coach Sean Casey, who has since been replaced by James Rowson. But this year, the injury bug has once again caught up with the former batting champion, and if he does not pick things up offensively in the near future, the Yankees will be forced to explore an upgrade by the trade deadline at the end of July.

When healthy, LeMahieu has proved he still has some production left in the tank, posting a .273 average and .809 OPS in the final 60 games of last season.

However, the Yankees have the best record in baseball and are aiming for a World Series title this year, and LeMahieu might not be fully healthy coming off a foot fracture. If he doesn't start hitting the ball with more authority soon, the team will have to look for a replacement on the trade market.