The New York Yankees won’t panic even after losing their rivalry series at the hands of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
The team still holds a considerable lead in the American League East division with some critical reinforcements on the way from the injured list, including Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Gil. But even though the team can afford a loss here and there during the marathon baseball season, it seems the clock is ticking for one veteran.
Since making his season debut in May, DJ LeMahieu has slashed just .258/.333/.371. Though he’s a four-time Gold Glove Award winner and two time Silver Slugger Award winner, the Yankees are reportedly eyeing a harsh deadline for him to improve production before they’d consider a significant move.
“He has a month, maybe a drop more, to show he is still a starting player in whom the Yankees can invest faith,” according to insider Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Shortly after Sherman’s report was published, LeMahieu rewarded the Yankees’ patience with a homer in the series finale against the Red Sox. Perhaps that will be a sign that he’s still got enough left in the tank to contribute to a playoff push.
But it seems that if LeMahieu isn’t able to produce more of the same in the few weeks remaining before the trade deadline, he could find himself relegated to a bench role or on the receiving end of an even harsher move. On the other hand, if he does bounce back to at least a shade of his previous form, the Yankees would consider it a pleasant boost.
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“It’s too early to make any sweeping conclusions on LeMahieu as a player, but it’s worth keeping an eye on because if they can get simply league-average production out of him, it would be an unexpected contribution and could impact their trade deadline decisions,” per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
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