Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

New Report Casts Doubt on DJ LeMahieu's Yankee Future

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated May 14, 2025 2:12 PM ET

Beloved Yankees infielder Oswaldo Cabrera suffered a fractured ankle, and the Yankees now need to figure out a suitable replacement for the 26-year-old.

It appears currently the solution will come in house, with Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu seeming to be the options for the bulk of the third base responsibilities.

Peraza has struggled to start 2025, with a .189 batting average and 28% strikeout percentage, while LeMahieu is on the cusp of returning from a lengthy rehab for several injuries.

LeMahieu missed all of September with hip impingement, and looked shaky at the plate due to a broken foot suffered last spring.

LeMahieu took an extended break from hitting to come back stronger, but the 36-year-old tweaked his calf in Spring Training which ended his spring after just one game.

He appears healthy and ready to make his season debut, and manager Aaron Boone said he will move to second base with Peraza shouldering the bulk of starts at third base. LeMahieu won four Gold Glove awards at second but has only made 44 starts there since the start of the 2022 season.

A new report from The Athletic, however, cast doubt on LeMahieu's future with the Yankees.

"The Yankees aren’t sure the 36-year-old, oft-injured LeMahieu is ready to be an everyday player again," the report said. "They don’t know if he can handle the everyday workload without breaking down."

LeMahieu has played in 140+ games in five of six seasons from 2014 to 2019, but has played in that many games in just one season since 2021.

Of course, much of LeMahieu's remaining potential is related to his ability to stay on the field, and optimism still remains that a healthy DJ can return to the kind of productivity that he posted in his first few seasons with New York.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: