Yankees bench DJ LeMahieu, who took it ‘not great,’ move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second

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NEW YORK — In the wake of a brutal skid that has seen the New York Yankees drop 16 of their last 23 games, manager Aaron Boone is shaking up the lineup significantly.

Boone announced Tuesday that veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu is no longer viewed as an everyday player. He will come off the bench. It’s a massive change for the Yankees to make, as LeMahieu is still owed the rest of his $15 million salary this year and $15 million next season.

Since coming off the injured list (calf strain) in mid-May, LeMahieu has exclusively played second base — a point of consternation among the fan base. The 36-year-old had limited range in the middle of the Yankees’ infield, and their sloppy defense has led to game-changing moments over the past month. Boone said LeMahieu was not pleased about being told he’s now a bench player.

“Not great necessarily,” Boone said of LeMahieu’s reaction. “That’s kind of the situation we’re in right now.”

With LeMahieu moved to the bench, the Yankees slid Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base. Chisholm recently told The Athletic that he viewed himself as a second baseman and was hoping that he would eventually move back to his more natural position. He is tied for second among all third basemen this season with six throwing errors. Chisholm said in Toronto last week that he was still unsure about all the intricacies of the position that he first played last season after the Miami Marlins traded him to New York.

Moving Chisholm back to second base should improve the Yankees’ defense. Chisholm was asked Tuesday in the clubhouse to describe himself as a second baseman and what fans can expect with him in the middle of the diamond once again.

“Elite defender. Elite slugging. Fast. Great defense. I don’t know what else to tell you,” Chisholm said. “Sounds like a complete player to me.”

Boone said he now views Chisholm as the everyday second baseman, with Oswald Peraza seen as the main option at third base. He said LeMahieu is not expected to play third base.

“I think physically it’s a challenge for him right now,” Boone said. “So, right now, no plans of doing that, but we’ll see.”

Heading into the season, the Yankees viewed LeMahieu as an option at third base, along with Oswaldo Cabrera and Peraza. Those plans shifted once LeMahieu injured his left calf in spring training and Cabrera suffered a season-ending injury in May. LeMahieu has dealt with several foot and lower-body injuries over the past few seasons that have limited his athleticism.

LeMahieu is not a prototypical bench player, which raises questions about his future with the Yankees. If he can only play second base (where he grades out negatively in outs above average) and has limited power in his bat, it’s possible the Yankees eventually decide to designate him for assignment.

Peraza is not seen as a long-term solution at third base. Boone said “it’s been a struggle offensively” for Peraza, but the manager lauded him for his defense. Peraza’s spot on the roster is important, too, because he’s the backup option at shortstop. Should the Yankees look to upgrade the roster before the trade deadline, they’d have to get someone who plays shortstop if they move on from the former top prospect. Or if they needed roster space and could not get another shortstop, they could cut LeMahieu.

It would not be a surprise to see the club try to externally upgrade at third base in the next few weeks. Some trade options the Yankees could consider include Eugenio Suárez, Ryan McMahon, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Willi Castro. The Yankees recently signed Jeimer Candelario and Nicky Lopez to minor-league contracts. Candelario was DFA’d by the Cincinnati Reds after posting a .410 OPS in 22 games this season. Lopez was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove Award at second base last season with the Chicago White Sox.

Injury news

The Yankees’ already thin bullpen got thinner on Tuesday as Mark Leiter Jr. was moved to the 15-day injured list with a left fibular head stress fracture. Leiter hurt his leg while covering first base on a groundball hit by the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz last month.

In place of Leiter, the Yankees recalled right-hander Clayton Beeter. Leiter becomes the second high-leverage reliever the Yankees have lost in recent weeks, with Fernando Cruz going down with a strained oblique in late June.

“Hopefully it (just) sounds worse,” Boone said of Leiter’s injury. “I know he’s not going to throw for a couple of days, but hopefully after that, he can get up and throwing. I think (his leg is) definitely compromised. We tried to give him some days, but I think it really started to creep up again on him from a pitching standpoint while warming up on Saturday and then into the game Sunday (against the New York Mets). Hopefully, this is something that we can get hammered out and get him back to throwing as well as he was the first couple months of the season.”

The Yankees must add at least two relievers before the trade deadline passes. This injury only adds to the urgency with which the Yankees’ front office must act.

(Photo of DJ LeMahieu: Luke Hales / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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