DJ LeMahieu has missed the start of the season due to a foot injury that he suffered after fouling off a ball during a drill in spring training. LeMahieu was looking to pick up where he left off after a solid second half of the 2023 season. He was originally expected to go on a rehab assignment over the weekend, but the Yankees eventually decided to push it back a few days.

LeMahieu previously said that he expects his rehab assignment to be about five games, but it is unknown how the Yankees will make a decision. If the five-game timeline is correct, LeMahieu could be back either next weekend or early next week.

Of the injuries the Yankees have been dealing with, LeMahieu’s is the biggest one on the offensive side of the ball. The biggest one overall is the elbow injury to Gerrit Cole. The hope is that LeMahieu’s foot injury does not linger and impact his play. That has happened in the past, as LeMahieu got off to a hot start in 2022, but a foot injury hampered his performance in the second half and possibly in the first half of 2023.

What does DJ LeMahieu’s return mean for Oswaldo Cabrera?

The return of LeMahieu is good news for the Yankees, as the lineup could use a boost. Despite the 15-7 record, New York’s lineup has not clicked on all cylinders as of yet. However, part of the Yankees’ hot start overall is due to the play of Oswaldo Cabrera, who has taken up the bulk of the starts at third base with LeMahieu out.

Oswaldo Cabrera is batting .290 with a .328 on-base percentage and three home runs so far this season. Him and Juan Soto have been catalysts for the Yankees as Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres have struggled offensively in April.

The potential problem is that LeMahieu is a third baseman, and he will likely take starts and at-bats away from Cabrera. If LeMahieu returns to the lineup and struggles offensively while taking away at-bats from Cabrera, the offense will be hurt as a result.

There are valid questions when it comes to how sustainable Cabrera’s offensive performance is to this point in the season, but the Yankees should get him as much playing time as they can to see how long this hot streak lasts, at the very least.

LeMahieu has a lot of experience playing second base, so if Gleyber Torres needs a day off, that is an option. Also, LeMahieu has filled in at first base a lot for New York over the years for Anthony Rizzo. With Cabrera’s performance on offense, LeMahieu could find himself playing second and first base spelling Torres and Rizzo when he comes back from injury.