DJ LeMahieu has appeared at the top of the lineup card more than 1,000 times in his career, either as the leadoff hitter or in the No. 2 position.
The 35-year-old veteran is just glad to be back in uniform with the New York Yankees after missing the first 55 games of the season due to a foot ailment. It doesn’t matter where he bats.
LeMahieu is expected to bat ninth and play third base for the New York Yankees on Thursday night, when they finish a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, California.
The Yankees and Angels have split the opening two games of the series, with LeMahieu going 1-for-6 with a run.
He returns to a squad with the best record in the American League, and rising sensation Anthony Volpe at leadoff. And LeMahieu does not want to disrupt the chemistry.
“I wouldn’t change a whole lot with our offense right now,” he said before his season debut on Tuesday. “But I am looking forward to it. I’m just looking forward to being in the lineup. “I’ll lurk at the bottom of the order.”
LeMahieu missed the first two months of the season due to a non-displaced fracture in his right foot, which occurred March 16 during a spring training game when he fouled a ball off his foot.
It derailed his attempts to resurrect the old LeMahieu, or something close to it, despite the fact that he has a.292 career hitting average and is a two-time batting champion.
He hit.243 in 136 games last season, the lowest average of his career. So, LeMahieu took action, spending virtually the entire winter working out at the Yankees’ player development facility in Tampa, Florida. He felt confident heading into spring training, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone was considering having him bat leadoff, with Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton following him.
It didn’t pan out that way, but LeMahieu is hopeful that his efforts during the winter will pay off.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Boone remarked about LeMahieu’s comeback. “I know how badly he wants to get back in there with these guys and be a part of this. He is already an important part of it, but I know that having him back in the lineup and the length he can give to it would be fantastic.”
Carlos Rodon (6-2, 2.95 ERA) will make his 12th start of the season for New York on Thursday. The left-hander has a 2-4 career record against the Angels, a 5.34 ERA, and 32 strikeouts in six starts.
Left-hander Patrick Sandoval (2-7, 5.60) will start for the Angels on Thursday. He has started 11 games this season and will seek to improve on his performance on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians.
Sandoval allowed eight runs in 3 2/3 innings, including three home runs and six hits. He also walked four times in a 10-4 loss.
“Too much of the strike zone,” Angels manager Ron Washington explained. “He couldn’t get the ball where he wanted it. I expected him to straighten it out at some time, but that did not happen.
Sandoval has made three career starts against the Yankees, going 2-1 with a 3.93 ERA.
