Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu talks prolonged struggles as trade deadline nears: ‘It sucks’

The next time DJ LeMahieu steps to the plate, the two-time batting champion will see a .177 average next to his name on the scoreboard.

“It’s not something I’m used to,” the 36-year-old said Saturday, adding that he’s going through one of the worst stretches of his life. “Personally, it’s not very fun.”

LeMahieu, in the midst of an 0-for-17 skid, was not in the New York Yankees’ order against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The decision came a day after Aaron Boone said the third baseman had “earned” the right to work through his struggles.

On Saturday, Boone said “we’ll see” when asked if LeMahieu would ride the bench for multiple games.

In addition to his sub-Mendoza average, LeMahieu has totaled a .270 on-base percentage, a .202 slugging percentage, three doubles, zero homers and 11 RBI over 39 games after a broken foot delayed the start of his season. The veteran has a 36 OPS+; 100 is considered league-average.

LeMahieu said that feels “good enough to do my job” and that he’s 100% healthy, but that’s not exactly an encouraging statement given the way he’s played. Boone, meanwhile, noted that LeMahieu has “gotten beat up over the last couple of years” from an injury standpoint. LeMahieu also had a foot/toe issue in 2022.

LeMahieu didn’t offer any specifics on things he’s been working on, though he said that he didn’t have a specific focus over the All-Star break aside from staying active.

“I’m just trying to work through it,” LeMahieu said. “I mean, it just hasn’t been very consistent. I feel like I’m onto something, and then I kind of go backwards a little bit and then I get onto something. But the consistency hasn’t been there.”

Metrics have offered little indication that LeMahieu can turn things around.

His average exit velocity, Hard-Hit percent and Chase percent have all moved in the wrong direction since last season. He’s also putting the ball on the ground 59.2% of the time.

“I’ve always hit a lot of ground-balls,” LeMahieu said, but he’s doing so at a personal-worst clip while offering essentially zero power and the softest contact of his career.

Asked if he was confident that he could snap out of his season-long funk, LeMahieu added, “I mean, it hasn’t given me much hope the last month or so. But as long as I’ve played this game, whatever challenges presented itself, I’ve always come out of it one way or another. So I just gotta keep showing up, keep working. That’s gotten me a lot of success.”

Boone said that he’s trying to be “sensitive” to LeMahieu’s shortcomings, but he called him a “very mentally and physically tough guy.” Boone believes that makes LeMahieu “equipped to handle things.”

But even those players can doubt themselves during prolonged slumps.

“That can weigh on you, and you’re walking up there with different thoughts,” Boone said. “That can get you in trouble.”

The impending July 30 trade deadline could be another consideration, as the Yankees would be wise to find an upgrade for LeMahieu, who is still owed $30 million over two seasons after 2024. That’s especially true following Jon Berti’s recent setback while recovering from a calf injury.

The Yankees have been linked to a few third baseman, including Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes, San Francisco’s Matt Chapman and the Angels’ Luis Rengifo.

Boone doesn’t typically discuss what could happen with players before the trade deadline “because you have no idea,” but he said that “everyone’s aware of where we are in the calendar.”

“It affects people in different ways,” the skipper said. “Some people, it drives and motivates and they eat it up and love it. Some guys, it can add a layer of anxiety. And within that, I’m sure it’s different for guys even year to year. So it’s just the nature of the business right now.”

LeMahieu didn’t want to dive into the possibility of the Yankees replacing him at the hot corner, but he did say “I know I definitely want to add as many good players as we can.”

LeMahieu added that he tries to avoid outside noise, which has also come from booing fans during this homestand. However, he did admit to dwelling on his poor numbers when he’s not at the ballpark.

“It sucks. It’s not fun,” LeMahieu said. “But I will say our team is a special team. So showing up with a special team and a special group keeps me going.”

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