DJ impresses in COVID-19 return
Luke Voit and others believed it wouldn’t take DJ LeMahieu long to get ready for the upcoming 60-game regular season that opens Thursday.
LeMahieu reported to the Yankees on Friday after testing negative twice for COVID-19 and the smooth-swinging second baseman was in Aaron Boone’s lineup Sunday night against the Mets at Yankee Stadium in a 6-0 exhibition win.
While the Mets played Saturday night, LeMahieu worked out at the Stadium and did well enough for Boone to start the Yankees’ most complete hitter at second base and lead him off.
“I knew after [Saturday’s] workout he was leaning towards wanting to be in there,’’ Boone said during a Zoom call Sunday afternoon. “When he woke up [Sunday] morning he texted me that he was feeling good.’’
That led to a huddle with Michael Schuk, the Yankees’ director of sports medicine and rehabilitation, LeMahieu and Boone.
“We kind of went through and kind of mapped out a little bit of a plan moving forward and [Sunday] seemed to make some sense,’’ Boone said.
Boone was impressed with LeMahieu, who went 0-for-2 and was replaced by Thairo Estrada at the start of the top of the fourth.
“He looked good, smoked the ball his first time, kind of the typical DJ back up the middle and caught the pitcher and got to 3-2 his next atbat,’’ Boone said.
The bigger issue is will LeMahieu, 32, be built up enough to be in the Opening Day lineup against Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer?
“It’s a possibility, I don’t know if it is realistic or not,’’ LeMahieu said Saturday about being ready for the first game.
➤ Masahiro Tanaka threw a second bullpen session Sunday and the next step will likely come Tuesday, when the right-hander will face live hitters for the first time since getting hit in the head on July 4 by a Giancarlo Stanton line drive that was clocked at 112 mph and left Tanaka with a concussion.
“Everything went well, so I would expect him to face hitters, perhaps Tuesday,’’ Boone said.
Tanaka working the first time through the five-man rotation isn’t likely since the Yankees will be careful with the 31-year-old. It is possible he will be able to start at the back end of the second trip through the rotation. With Tanaka out, Jordan Montgomery moves up from fifth starter to fourth.
➤ Luis Cessa joined the Yankees on Sunday. The right-hander had been quarantining away from camp after testing positive for COVID-19.
“He feels great. He is out playing catch [Sunday] and he will throw a bullpen [Monday]. We will see where he is at and start to map out a plan,’’ Boone said.
➤ Boone was pleased Domingo
German changed his mind Saturday about leaving baseball which he said he was doing Friday in an internet post. However, Boone wants to know more about the situation before addressing the issue.
“I kind of reserve comment until I have a handle on the situation,’’ Boone said. “First and foremost want to make sure he is OK.”
➤ Right-hander Deivi Garcia is scheduled to start Monday night at Yankee Stadium against the Phillies.