The New York Yankees have designated two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu for assignment, one day after manager Aaron Boone had said the aging infielder with a diminished defensive range would primarily be used off the bench.
The Yankees, who owe LeMahieu about $22 million on the remainder of a six-year deal that ran through the 2026 season, made the announcement before Wednesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
LeMahieu, who turns 37 on Sunday and has dealt with a variety of toe, foot and hip injuries, was hitting .266 with two homers, 12 RBIs and a .674 OPS this season. He won his first batting title in 2016 with Colorado and his second with New York in 2020, when he hit .364 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs in 50 games during the pandemic-shortened season.
The decision to designate him for assignment comes after Boone announced that All-Star infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. would move back to second base, where LeMahieu had made all 35 of his starts this season. Boone acknowledged that Chisholm, who has been hampered by a sore shoulder, had been struggling with making the longer throws from third base.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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