Add DJ LeMahieu to the list of Yankees dealing with a spring training ailment.
The infielder underwent X-rays that came back clean after he fouled a ball off the side of his foot Saturday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Sunday.
LeMahieu took a minute to get up after the ball struck his right foot, video from the Yankees’ 10-9 win over Toronto shows.
“Definitely the way he sat there, I can tell he got it really good,” Boone said. “So we’ll see. I know he was still sore walking in today, so hopefully it’s just a day-to-day thing, but he got it pretty good.”
A fracture in LeMahieu’s right foot prevented him from playing in the 2022 postseason.
Saturday’s injury occurred days after Aaron Judge received an MRI on his abdomen that the slugger said came back clean, and Gerrit Cole underwent a series of tests on his right elbow that the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner said revealed nerve inflammation and edema.
Cole is not expected to throw for three-to-four weeks and will begin the season on the injured list.
The Yankees hope LeMahieu – a two-time batting champion fresh off of a career-worst .243 average — can serve as their leadoff hitter ahead of Juan Soto and Judge. LeMahieu batted .273 in the second half last season after hitting just .220 before the All-Star break.
“He’s worked his tail off this winter, being here, being part of the running program,” Boone said last month of LeMahieu. “He’s running well. He’s just more explosive, to me, in the batting cage. To me it’s very noticeable. I felt like he started to address some things in the second half of last season and put together a stronger second half. But to me, he’s even in a way better physical position than he was then and at any time probably in the last couple years.”
The multi-positional LeMahieu, 35, is set to operate this season as the Yankees’ primary third baseman, a role occupied the previous two years by the now-retired Josh Donaldson.
Backup infielder Oswald Peraza, who started 33 games at third base last year, was diagnosed with a shoulder strain earlier this month. He shut down baseball activities for at least six weeks.
The Yankees open the season March 28 in Houston..