Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu homers for first time in 2025 after long injury layoff

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DJ LeMahieu stepped to the plate Saturday afternoon at Citi Field and finally got on the board, crushing his first home run of the season — a solo shot that put the Yankees ahead of the Mets in the early innings. It was a small moment, but one that felt meaningful for a player who’s spent much of the last year either hurt or irrelevant.

DJ LeMahieu is off the bench and back on the board — but can he stay on this roster?

It was DJ LeMahieu’s first home run since July 2024, and only his second extra-base hit of this season. After dealing with injuries and diminished playing time, the former batting champ is no longer an everyday fixture in the Yankees’ lineup. He’s earning $15 million this year — the fifth of a six-year deal — but his current role is limited: a bench bat, used mostly out of necessity due to roster constraints and lack of infield depth.

Manager Aaron Boone praised his performance after the 3-2 loss to the Mets, highlighting what he called “big-time at-bats.” LeMahieu added a base hit up the middle later in the game and nearly drove in a run with a sharp liner to right-center with the bases loaded. “Really encouraging to see him having that level of at-bats in his first few outings,” Boone said. “Yeah, he was phenomenal.”

But the larger question still looms: Can he keep this up?

Last season, LeMahieu posted a -1.6 bWAR in fewer than 70 games — a steep drop-off for a player who once led the league in hitting. His decline has been tough to watch. Once a trusted leadoff man and infield anchor, he’s now fighting just to stick on the roster. While some fans still believe he’ll finish out his contract in pinstripes, many admit it’s likely due to the money, not the performance. As one fan wrote on a Yankees site this week: “He’ll be here unless he’s unplayable. And maybe even if he is.”

Saturday’s game also underscored one area where LeMahieu still offers value: defense.

The Yankees have faced heavy criticism for defensive breakdowns in recent years — including the fifth-inning collapse against the Dodgers in Game 5 of last year’s World Series. But things have tightened up in 2025. Saturday featured multiple standout plays, particularly in the seventh inning as the Yankees tried to hold a 2-2 tie.

With one out and a runner on first, Tyrone Taylor smashed a ball off the wall in left-center. Jasson Dominguez couldn’t make the play, but Cody Bellinger backed it up, fielded the ricochet cleanly, and fired it to Anthony Volpe. The shortstop relayed it perfectly to catcher J.C. Escarra, who applied a textbook tag on a sliding Brett Baty just in time. It was a seamless sequence of execution.

Moments later, LeMahieu made his own statement. With Taylor in scoring position and two outs, Francisco Lindor sent a hard grounder up the middle. LeMahieu ranged to his right, dropped to his knees, and fired to first to end the inning — a crucial play that prevented the go-ahead run from scoring.

Even later, in the ninth, he nearly pulled off another highlight. He dove to stop a grounder from Baty but couldn’t complete the play. Still, it was a glimpse of the instincts and reflexes that made him a Gold Glove winner.

For now, LeMahieu is healthy and producing enough to stay in the conversation. Whether that lasts through the trade deadline — or into 2026 — remains to be seen.

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