TAMPA – DJ LeMahieu – in his understated trademark – said this week that his foot felt “good, so it’s good.”
Aaron Boone was a bit more expansive on Thursday.
“We’ve really had a few months now without any problems,” the manager said before the Yankees faced the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field. “So I hope [we are past the injury].”
Early returns have been promising for the Yankees and their all-around weapon on the field.
LeMahieu, who was so hampered by a fractured right big toe and ligament damage to his second toe last year, has rested his foot this offseason and is still finding time in camp to ease the pressure.
He reduced the number of reps, both on the field and in the batting cage, and said he felt healthy.
In the small sample of 20 board appearances, LeMahieu entered Thursday averaging .333 with a pair of walks in the Grapefruit League.
“I feel really good where he is,” Boone said of LeMahieu, who hit a home run Tuesday at 103.6 mph from the start. “[He] hitting a ball to right center, that homer the other night, that I don’t know when he hit a ball that far. This ball was absolutely crushed.
Defensively, he was able to switch between second, third and first without a problem.
Through July last season, LeMahieu posted an .813 OPS and was a valuable lead hitter past Aaron Judge.
The foot injury destroyed the rest of LeMahieu’s season, which ended with a .734 OPS.
“He played despite the injury, [and] his numbers have suffered,” Boone said of LeMahieu, who played successfully twice in a row in the spring. “But he’s just such a good hitter, such a smart hitter, such a patient hitter.”
Jose Trevino threw the bat for the first time since spraining his right wrist in a game on March 9.
Seven days later, Trevino hit a tee at bat and a soft pitch.
If all goes well with Trevino, Boone hopes the receiver will return to the lineup Tuesday in Tampa against the Tigers.
Like everyone else, Boone said he felt “awful” for Edwin Diaz after the Mets tore his patellar tendon during a World Baseball Classic celebration.
“I hope [the injury] is unrelated to WBC,” Boone said. “It’s not a pitcher [who] exploded because he was pitching high-leverage knockout rounds in March. It’s a weird thing that happened.
Jonathan Loasigia returned from the World Baseball Classic, where he played with the eliminated Nicaragua.
Boone said the right-handed reliever was “just in line” with where he should be. Loasigia will “probably” pitch with the Yankees in a game this weekend.
Tommy Kahnle (right biceps tendonitis) is expected to start throwing again on Friday.
The Yankees are hoping Carlos Rodon (slight brachioradialis muscle strain in his left forearm) will start pitching this weekend.
Kahnle and Rodon will start the season on the injured list.