On their way to a first-place finish in the American League East and a run to their first World Series since 2009, the 2024 New York Yankees started off the regular season in impressive fashion. The Bronx Bombers won their first five straight games, 10 of their first 12 and 12 of their first 16. But multiple waves of bad injury news have slammed the Yankees this spring, putting their ability to get off to a similarly fast start in 2025 in serious doubt.
The most stunning blow to the roster came in the form of somewhat mysterious twin elbow injuries to 35-year-old designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton. Manager Aaron Boone has called Stanton’s injuries “akin to tennis elbow.” But on Saturday the team announced that the 429-career-home-run slugger would start the season on the injured list â with no date for his planned return.
Stanton’s injury history has been an issue for the Yankees in recent seasons. The righty swinger who was taken by the Florida Marlins in the second round of the 2006 MLB draft has not appeared in more than 110 games for New York since 2021.
Latest Bad News Comes at the Hot Corner
Earlier last week, the Yankees shut down last year’s Rookie of the Year Luis Gil with a shoulder issue described by the team as “tightness.” Gil was set for an MRI exam on the shoulder Saturday, but as of Sunday morning the team had not received the results from the test.
The latest entry in the parade of injuries happened on Saturday. In his second at-bat of a game against the Houston Astros at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, third-baseman DJ LeMahieu popped out. On his way to first base, he felt a “twinge” in his left calf, according to a report by the New York Post.
The calf “twinge” comes after a series of foot injuries for LeMahieu, who was limited to only 64 games in 2024. But LeMahieu himself made his latest injury sound like more than a minor “twinge,” in comments to the Post on Saturday.
âItâs probably gonna be a little bit before I start doing baseball stuff again,” the 36-year-old, 14-year veteran told the paper. LeMahieu also appeared to be in shock over suffering yet another health setback.
ââAre you kidding me?ââ LeMahieu said, recounting his thoughts after experiecing the calf injury. ââAre you serious right now? Is this a sick joke?ââ
Boone described LeMahieu’s injury as “at least a little concerning.”
Question for Yankees: ‘Who’s on Third?’
Boone’s concern, beyond the health of LeMahieu, now becomes filling the third base position. The Yankees lost seven-year second baseman Gleyber Torres to the Detroit Tigers in free agency and rather than sign a replacement in free agency, or trade for one, Boone and general manager Brian Cashman chose to shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base. After being acquired by the Yankees from the Marlins at the trade deadline last season, Chisholm took over the hot corner, playing 45 games there.
That left third base to the injury-plagued LeMahieu, a decision that left Yankees-watchers puzzled.
“The three-time All-Starâs best days are behind him, and Cashman’s failure to realize that has reared its head,” wrote James Nolan of Fansided on Sunday. “LeMahieuâs injury comes as a blow to Boone, but he never should be the everyday third baseman, even when healthy. The 36-year-old would be much better suited in a role off the bench.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post More Yankees Bad News Keeps Rolling In as Player Asks ‘Is This a Sick Joke?’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.