Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu ‘itching’ to start rehab process

The waiting is almost complete for DJ LeMahieu.

Initially expected to statesman a rehab duty arsenic soon arsenic Friday, LeMahieu was alternatively successful The Bronx, pinch nan scheme for him to caput down to Tampa connected Saturday aliases Sunday, arsenic nan Northeast deals pinch bad upwind and nan Yankees wanting to play it safe pinch his calf injury.

LeMahieu said before Friday’s 9-1, rain-shortened nonaccomplishment to nan Giants that it was preferable for him to beryllium astatine nan team’s analyzable successful Tampa, wherever he could return galore at-bats against different pitchers, alternatively than being constricted to 2 aliases 3 successful a insignificant convention rehab crippled location else.

Regardless of wherever LeMahieu is, it will beryllium a while until he has nan chance to get backmost to nan majors.

LeMahieu has been sidelined since straining his near calf successful his first Grapefruit League crippled of nan spring, coming disconnected different injury-plagued and unproductive season.

“I’m itching to go,’’ LeMahieu said. “It’s been reliable and I want to get started.”

He said he’s not constricted successful what he tin do, though fixed his deficiency of action during outpouring training, there’s plentifulness of activity to do earlier he’s an action for nan Yankees.

“It will return a while, but hopefully not excessively long,’’ LeMahieu said.

DJ LeMahieu said he is “itching” to statesman his rehab process from his calf injury. Getty Images

The Yankees haven’t recovered overmuch discourtesy astatine 3rd base, pinch Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza mostly making up a lefty-righty platoon that hasn’t had overmuch occurrence — though nan team’s .666 mixed OPS astatine nan spot is successful nan mediate of nan battalion successful nan fields (14th overall).

The 36-year-old LeMahieu is nether statement for some this play and 2026 for $15 cardinal apiece, but his lower-leg and ft injuries person sapped overmuch of his accumulation for astir of nan past four-plus years.

Clarke Schmidt is expected to rejoin nan Yankees rotation adjacent week, which apt intends Carlos Carrasco (who has been mediocre but cannot beryllium optioned to nan insignificant leagues without being exposed to waivers), Will Warren (who has been better, but tin beryllium optioned) aliases Marcus Stroman (who required X-rays connected his near knee aft Friday’s unsmooth commencement and could request an IL stint) will autumn retired of nan starting group.

“We’ll see,” Boone said earlier nan game.

Clarke Schmidt Bill Kostroun

Boone said Schmidt would debut successful “five aliases six days,” putting him connected way either successful nan finale of a bid against nan Royals aliases a bid opener successful Tampa adjacent week.

The righty was slowed successful campy pinch a backmost rumor and correct rotator cuff tendinitis and has built up successful 2 rehab starts.

In his last, Thursday pinch Double-A Somerset, Schmidt struck retired 4 and allowed 3 hits successful 4 scoreless innings successful which he reached 61 pitches.

“I thought he was sharp,” said Boone, who watched video of nan commencement Friday.

Aaron Judge (0-for-1, 2 walks) has reached guidelines successful 12 of his 13 games this year.

Against lefty Robbie Ray, Trent Grisham (who has deed southpaws well) sewage nan commencement successful center, and Cody Bellinger moved to near field. He went 0-for-2.

Switch-hitting Jasson Domínguez, who has gone 1-for-20 pinch 7 strikeouts against lefties to statesman nan season, did not play.

The Yankees held a infinitesimal of soundlessness for Octavio Dotel, who died astatine 51 successful nan tile illness successful nan Dominican Republic.

Dotel, nan longtime reliever, sounded successful 14 games pinch nan Yankees successful 2006.