The New York Yankees benched DJ LeMahieu on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, they shockingly designated him for assignment. Aaron Boone revealed what the plan at third base will be moving forward.
The Yankees opted to bench LeMahieu to get Jazz Chisholm Jr. back at second base. However, Boone noted on Tuesday that LeMahieu could not play third base because it was physically challenging for him, meaning that his only role was on the bench. However, after designating him for assignment today, Boone noted that LeMahieu was willing to work at third base, but it has become a “demanding spot” for him.
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Boone revealed that Oswald Peraza, Jorbit Vivas and JC Escarra “in the interim,” according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. LeMahieu likely did not figure into the team’s third base plans anyway, but Vivas should be back up in the big leagues with LeMahieu gone.
Vivas offers more defensive versatility than LeMahieu, but the Yankees may not stick with that plan very long. None of their current third base options provides much at the plate.
Brian Cashman revealed that the Yankees will be looking for upgrades at multiple spots, including the infield. However, he noted that it may not be a deep deadline.
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“I’d certainly love to import a starter, some relievers…and an infielder as well, if possible,” Cashman said to reporters after the DJ LeMahieu release. “But that’s a long list. I’m not sure if this will be a deep deadline or not, so I don’t know how active we can be. But we will try to be active, I can tell you that, and we will try to import improvements. That’s the gig.”
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