DJ LeMahieu tried to convince Aaron Boone that he would be able to contribute for the Yankees in the ALDS, but in the end, the Yankee manager decided LeMahieu was too far from his usual self to make an impact.
“I just wanted to see him take live at-bats yesterday,” Boone said. “And just watching him, I just know he's compromised. So I brought him in, and, you know, he wanted to give it a go and was willing to give it a go, and just like, I feel like I can give you an at-bat off the bench and give you a routine play.
“But just watching him, he is really compromised and I just felt like it wasn't the responsible thing to do.”
LeMahieu reportedly has a fracture in his foot, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but Boone responded to that report saying he doesn’t know what LeMahieu’s specific diagnosis is, and that all he knows is that there is discomfort in his toe that is preventing him from getting power from his back half. He saw that limitation in watching LeMahieu swing, and decided it was best to go with other, healthier options.
“I appreciate all that he's been through and all that he's been to do to try to make it work,” Boone said. “We're leaving the door open as far as moving forward, hopefully, if we get deeper in the playoffs. But right now I just felt like he was compromised too much.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)