New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu will miss some time during spring training because of a “pretty significant bone bruise” in his right foot, manager Aaron Boone said Monday, while superstar slugger Aaron Judge is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday.
LeMahieu hit a foul ball off the top of his foot on Saturday, and an X-ray and CT scan came back negative for a fracture, Boone said.
“He’s still pretty sore, but moving around a lot better,” Boone said on the YES Network telecast. “I definitely think it’s going to cost him some days here.”
LeMahieu, 35, has a history of foot issues and won’t be rushed back in the 10 days before Opening Day.
Judge hasn’t taken batting practice on the infield or played since March 10 due to abdominal discomfort, mostly on the follow-through of his swings. An MRI exam on March 11 was clean, and he’s been participating in defensive workouts, cage work and lifting weight while undergoing treatment. He faced high-velocity pitching machines on Monday at the Yankees’ camp in Tampa, Fla.
“All I’ll say is we’re feeling pretty good,” Judge said Monday. “The MRIs came back clean. I think a lot of it was precautionary; no need to risk stuff in spring training. … The main goal is to be game ready for Opening Day, so we’re just going to work toward that.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.