The New York Yankees have been derailed by injuries in recent years and that trend has carried over into the 2020 MLB season. On Sunday, All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu became the third Yankees’ star to land on the injured list in the past week.
Even when things are going right for New York in the MLB standings, the latest blow to the lineup shows just how snake-bitten this club might be.
Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu placed on injured list with thumb sprain
While the Yankees continue to rack up wins and hold first place in the AL East, the injuries are also mounting. Days after losing star outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, New York lost LeMahieu to a thumb sprain.
The 32-year-old second baseman suffered the injury on Saturday in a win over the Boston Red Sox, exiting the game and thus creating a new hole in the lineup.
While a timetable for LeMahieu’s potential return wasn’t provided, this is the second time he has suffered this injury in his career. During the 2018 season with the Colorado Rockies, he missed two weeks of action.
In LeMahieu’s absence, the Yankees are calling up former top prospect Miguel Andújar from the club’s alternate site. The 25-year-old enjoyed a breakout rookie campaign with 27 home runs and 92 RBIs in 2018, but hasn’t been a factor since.
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Impact on New York Yankees lineup
While the Yankees demonstrated in 2019 they could overcome injuries, their depth is being greatly tested this year. With Stanton, Judge and LeMahieu now sidelined for the foreseeable future, things will get much tougher in New York.
Stanton, who is expected to miss a month with the strained hamstring, got off to a hot start this season. He recorded a 1.038 OPS with three home runs in 14 games, demonstrating jaw-dropping power on a regular basis.
The Yankees will also greatly miss Judge’s bat from the lineup, but his absence may be the shortest. The 28-year-old had returned to his MVP-caliber form this season with nine home runs, 20 RBIs and an eye-popping .758 OPS across 62 at-bats. New York is hopeful his stay on the injured list due to a calf strain will be short.
LeMahieu has been incredible since signing with the Yankees during the 2019 offseason. Since he stepped into New York’s lineup, he owns a .333/.378/.517 slash line with 122 runs scored and 108 RBIs across 162 games.
Sitting at 14-6 on the season, the Yankees will finish a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series next week. With the Rays just 2.5 games back in the standings, New York needs to deliver.
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