DJ LeMahieu is up for Yankees’ ambitious plan for him

DJ LeMahieu’s stat page speaks for itself, but he also brings an unselfishness that likely will serve him well when the Yankees move him around the infield in his first season in The Bronx.

LeMahieu, 30, was an All-Star twice with the Rockies and is a career .298 hitter who signed a two-year deal worth $24 million to join an infield that houses second baseman Gleyber Torres at the position he played the most during an eight-year career.

Going back to his days at LSU, LeMahieu did whatever was asked of him. Now, according to Aaron Boone, the right-handed hitting LeMahieu will play a lot even if Torres is the starting second baseman, Miguel Andujar is at third and Luke Voit and Greg Bird are fighting to be the regular first baseman.

The plan, which can be altered by injuries or health issues, is for LeMahieu to play second, third and first.

“Obviously, I am most comfortable at second base,” LeMahieu said Wednesday morning before the Yankees’ second full-squad workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. “With reps and a good spring training, there will be no problem playing other positions. Actually I am looking forward to it.”

In eight big league seasons (one with the Cubs, seven with the Rockies), LeMahieu played 892 games at second (857 starts) and won Gold Gloves in 2014, 2017 and 2018 at the position. He has appeared at third base in 41 games (24 starts), four at first base (one start) and four at short (zero starts).

Asked if his preparation to move around the infield changed during the offseason, LeMahieu said, “I took ground balls at short and third to get ready for spring training.”

With Troy Tulowitzki and Torres available to play short, LeMahieu likely would be an emergency shortstop.

As for first base, he played seven games there for Mesa in the 2011 Arizona Fall League and said, “That was a long time ago.”

Winning three Gold Gloves at second means LeMahieu is athletic enough to play first. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he provides a big target for infielders. And don’t forget the bat, which has helped produce a .350 career on-base percentage.

“I don’t think I will be the everyday first baseman by any means,” LeMahieu said.

Even if it is as a right-handed bat on a team that leans heavily toward that side of the plate, the Yankees are planning on using LeMahieu’s wood as he plays three positions.

“With DJ our intention is second, third and a little bit of first,” Boone said of LeMahieu. “I envision him playing a lot and that is assuming perfect health across the board. I still kind of think he is playing all the time.”

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