Yankees lose LeMahieu, Stanton to injury
The Yankees lost All-Stars DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton to injuries Tuesday night and also placed closer Aroldis Chapman on the injured list.
LeMahieu was set to lead off and play third base against the Baltimore Orioles, but New York announced he wouldn’t play about 90 minutes before the first pitch because of left wrist discomfort.
Stanton was pulled from the game with right calf tightness. He was replaced by pinch-hitter Estevan Florial in the seventh inning after going 0 for 2 with a strikeout as the designated hitter.
LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion, is hitting .250 with three homers and a .704 OPS this season. He’s 5 for 39 (.128) over his past 10 games. Asked about LeMahieu’s struggles earlier Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said he thought LeMahieu was “close” to ending his slump and did not cite the wrist as an issue.
Stanton is batting .285 with 11 homers and a team-leading 35 RBIs.
The 2017 NL MVP played 139 games last year after injuries and the pandemic limited him to 41 games in 2019 and 2020 combined.
Marwin Gonzalez replaced LeMahieu at third base, and Aaron Hicks was bumped up to the leadoff spot. Gonzalez was hit in the right hand by a pitch Tuesday but remained in the game.
New York also activated catcher Kyle Higashioka from the COVID-19 IL.
Left fielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Josh Donaldson remain out with the virus, although Gallo has tested negative and worked out at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. He could be activated Wednesday.
Chapman had an MRI on Monday that came back negative for a tear. Boone said Tuesday that Chapman was improving but not game ready.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Mariners activated former AL rookie of the year Kyle Lewis from the injured list Tuesday, nearly a year after he last played in a major league game.
Lewis, the 2020 rookie of the year, missed most of last season due to a right knee injury. The slumping Mariners are hoping his return to the lineup can provide a spark.
Seattle optioned left-handed reliever Danny Young to clear the roster spot for Lewis.
Lewis will primarily be a designated hitter for Seattle as continued knee troubles have limited his ability to play in the field.
Lewis suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee last spring and underwent surgery. His recovery was slowed by setbacks and he was eventually shut down by Seattle late in the season. Lewis also suffered a bone bruise in the knee during this spring training that cost him the first few weeks of the season. The first major issue Lewis had with the knee was in 2016, when he tore the ACL.