No DJ LeMahieu on ALDS roster, infielder seeing foot specialists to determine future status

DJ LeMahieu battled until late Monday night to make the Yankees’ American League Division Series squad, but for the second year in a row the veteran infielder is not on the Bombers’ playoff roster — at least for this round.

Also off the roster is right-handed reliever Scott Effross, who the Yankees acquired at the trade deadline. Effross needs Tommy John surgery, the YES Network reported.

That means that three of the five players the Yankees traded for at the deadline are not making the ALDS roster. Effross joins Frankie Montas and Andrew Benintendi in that group.

LeMahieu was off seeing specialists about the foot injury, which Yankees manager Aaron Boone said they aren’t exactly sure what it is but does include some kind of fracture.

“So he’ll go see some specialists that they’ve been kind of dealing with remotely. He would probably have to go see some of those to see what the course of action is,” Boone said before Tuesday night’s Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Guardians at the Stadium. So I don’t know if it’s a rest thing through the winter. If there’s a procedure that he’s got to get done. I don’t know that.”

Boone admitted that the Yankees have no idea how long this will take to recover and it could even push into 2023 Spring Training at this point.

LeMahieu has been dealing with an inflamed right big/second toe since before the All-Star break, which is when he had a cortisone shot that worked for just a short while. He missed 21 games while on the injured list with the issue in September. He came back to play five of the final six games of the regular season to try and prove his bat could contribute to a playoff lineup. LeMahieu hit 4-for-16 with no extra-base hits, two walks and a strikeout in those five games. His last extra-base hit, a home run, was on Aug. 7, right before he revealed the injury.

“I was watching him yesterday [in live batting practice] and it was just similar to Texas. He got two hits yesterday in the live and it’s just a shell of himself, you know? And then his last at-bat that same way and I just brought him in. I was just like, ‘Man, I just don’t see it,’” Boone said. “He understood. He was all in on going and like but he’s just kind of akin to like, that was one arm tied behind his back.”

Boone hinted that LeMahieu had not proven he is healthy before Monday’s workout at the Stadium.

“I think it’s getting his swing. I feel like he was still compromised. That’s what I was seeing,” Boone said. “So you know, kind of want to see how he is today and what he’s able to do, and make that determination.”

The 34-year-old who is in the second year of his six-year, $90 million deal with the Yankees took live batting practice at the Stadium Monday night with Boone and the front office watching very carefully.

LeMahieu was shut down before last year’s AL Wild Card Game, because of a sports hernia. He had offseason surgery. He has said he doesn’t believe this injury will require surgery.

Effross was a rookie the Yankees were really excited about, but he made just 13 appearances after being acquired at the deadline. The side-armer struck out 12 in 12.2 innings pitched and threw to a 2.13 ERA in those outings. He missed time with what the Yankees said was a shoulder issue.

Rookie shortstop Oswald Peraza, who made a short but interesting case to make the roster at the end of the regular season, was also left off.

“A real tough call was just a close call that in the end I made but yes, he was very close,” Boone said of deciding between Marwin Gonzalez and Peraza. “I was here late pretty late last night finalizing...it was close call with him and Marwin.”

Boone said Gonzalez’s versatility was the deciding factor. Without LeMahieu, the Yankees have only Gonzalez as a backup first baseman.

As expected, slugger Matt Carpenter made the roster. The veteran, who the Yankees signed as a free agent after opting out of a minor league contract with the Rangers in May, was a huge left-handed boost to this lineup. After hitting seven home runs in 418 at-bats over the 2020-21 season, Carpenter crushed 15 in 154 at-bats over 47 games with the Yankees and drove in 37 runs. He hit .305/.412/.727 with a 1.138 OPS before fracturing his left foot on a foul ball on Aug. 8.

Clay Holmes, who had missed the final eight games with what he said was a rotator cuff injury, also makes the ALDS roster. The 29-year-old sinker-ball pitcher had been dominant in the first half, earning his first All-Star appearance, but struggled in the second half. He went on the injury list with a back issue and then sat out with the shoulder issue.

Wandy Peralta came off the injured list to make the roster as well. He was suffering from “spine tightness” in the last part of the regular season.

Reliever Miguel Castro, who was a question mark, made the roster as did outfielder Aaron Hicks, utility man Gonzalez and speedy back-up outfielder Tim Locastro.

The Yankees are carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players.