DJ LeMahieu feels he is ready to begin a rehabilitation assignment, but the doctors don’t.
After a follow-up MRI exam on Thursday night, the plan of starting to play in games Friday was pushed back a few days, likely until Tuesday.
LeMahieu, 35, has been on the shelf since March 16 when he fouled a ball off his right foot and suffered a non-displaced fracture.
The initial expectation was he would start playing games with Double-A Somerset this weekend.
“A couple of doctors just didn’t feel comfortable yet,” he said before the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Rays in The Bronx. “No, it’s not a setback. I feel ready to go, ready to get out and get in some games. It shouldn’t be too much longer, I guess.”
The veteran infielder tried to play through a right foot injury late in the 2022 season, but it wound up limiting him early last year.
LeMahieu wound up slashing .243/.327/.390 with a .718 OPS.
“They want him to get through the weekend,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s doing really well and I know he feels ready to go, but the foot specialist just weighing in, wanting to make sure this thing is 100 percent. He’s close to that now, so just being conservative with this thing. … They do feel like he is ready to go play, but as we’ve talked about from the beginning, we’re not playing with this at all. We want to make sure DJ is in a good spot when he does come back and ready to go. That’s the biggest thing.”
LeMahieu has been able to do everything, from batting practice to running and fielding grounders. He’ll continue to do that over the weekend.
“I’m frustrated, but I’m ready to go,” he said.
One positive is that Oswaldo Cabrera has filled in well for LeMahieu at third base. He’s been one of the Yankees’ best players, notching an .895 OPS with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
“We’re playing really well,” LeMahieu said. “I just want to be a part of it.”