General manager Brian Cashman announced on Monday in Tampa that the Yankees’ veteran third baseman will begin the season on the disabled list because of a major bone bruise he sustained on his right foot on March 16 after fouling a ball off it.

The Yankees did not want LeMahieu to try to play through the pain and swelling, even though he had been attempting to increase his workload in an effort to be ready for Thursday’s Opening Day in Houston.

Cashman stated at Steinbrenner Field, “The last few days, giving it time, it hasn’t really responded quick enough with the dates coming.”

Unless LeMahieu makes a last-minute external trade before Opening Day, Oswaldo Cabrera is projected to slot in at third base.

LeMahieu’s three-day IL stint can be backdated by the Yankees, so he might be back in time for the April 5 home opener.

However, that will rely on how far forward LeMahieu is in the coming week.

Further this week, according to Cashman, he is anticipated to have another MRI, which was initially scheduled after all of his previous tests yielded negative results.

Late in 2022, the 35-year-old LeMahieu attempted to play despite a right foot ailment, which hindered his output and caused problems that persisted into the first half of the previous season.

How do you feel?Leave a remark.

Aaron Boone had praised LeMahieu’s explosiveness during camp, which gave the Yankees hope. However, since his return to the IL, that confidence has diminished.