DJ LeMahieu was back in the lineup as the No. 9 hitter on Saturday, but he was a far cry from the man he was a few years ago when he was one of the best hitters in golf.
Speaking ahead of the game against the Rays in the Bronx, manager Aaron Boone said the 36-year-old has “earned” the right to try to break out of his long slump.
“We’ve got to find him and keep using him,” Boone said. “He’s earned it and with where we are on the roster right now, we’ve got to give him that opportunity. And if we can do that, then we’ll know we’ve got a really good hitter.”
“He’s going to continue to get opportunities here.”
Boone said switch-hitter Oswaldo Cabrera will likely get some time at third base against right-handed batters, and that could happen Sunday.
LeMahieu said he is frustrated after not getting a hit since July 9 and going 0-for-14 over his past four games and will continue to work on his plate.
When asked if he was sure LeMahieu was “100 percent healthy,” Boone replied, “I believe he is healthy. He’s just working hard.”
Regarding his recent slump, manager Boone said, “He’s had some unlucky games, but he’s still been able to put the ball on the ground. He’s working hard, especially for a hitter of his caliber. I think he’s just working hard to get to that point.”
When asked why he’s confident LeMahieu can do that, Boone said, “Because he still has a great swing. We’re just hoping he gets it back.”
Meanwhile, LeMahieu started to hear it coming from the crowd in the stadium as he grounded out in the fourth inning of Friday’s win.
“That part isn’t really a concern for him,” Boone said. “He’s trying to hit line drives consistently. He’s pretty calm and professional. It certainly weighs on him to some extent.”
For now, the Yankees believe LeMahieu is their best option at third base, but with just over a week until the July 30 trade deadline, that could change.
LeMahieu said the deadline isn’t on his mind, while Boone declined to predict how the move would change his role.
“We’ll see what happens,” Boone said. “I’m not going to speculate because I don’t know how things are going to turn out.”
