Aaron Judge Shuts Down Ridiculous Rumor Surrounding Yankees' DJ LeMahieu Release
The New York Yankees designated DJ LeMahieu for assignment on Wednesday and released him from the roster Thursday.
LeMahieu was struggling defensively, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. was struggling after having to move to third base to accommodate LeMahieu. The Yankees were clearly tired of their defensive struggles in the infield and moved Chisholm back to second base. However, Aaron Boone noted that third base was a challenge for LeMahieu physically, and he would be on the bench moving forward.
LeMahieu's release was likely long overdue. He has dealt with multiple injuries in the last three seasons and has a .665 OPS since the start of 2023. According to the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips, there were reports that the Yankees considered releasing LeMahieu last September to call up Jasson Domínguez, but Aaron Judge and other Yankees veterans "protested" and prevented it from happening. Judge addressed the rumor after LeMahieu was released.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 4: DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees reacts after Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees dumped water on him after hitting a walk-off single during the...
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 4: DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees reacts after Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees dumped water on him after hitting a walk-off single during the tenth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2024 in New York City. The Yankees won 4-3. More"I'm a player. I don't make decisions," Judge told Phillips. "That's more of a front office thing. So I got nothing on that. If they're listening to what the players are doing, then maybe we should get paid a little bit more to do their jobs too."
LeMahieu and Judge have been teammates since 2019, and it was likely not an easy decision to let LeMahieu go. He is still owed $22 million on his six-year, $90 million deal.
In his first three seasons with the Yankees, he was an All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, a batting champion and finished in the top five for American League MVP twice. However, injuries caught up to him and eventually led to the end of his Yankees tenure. LeMahieu is a free agent now that he cleared waivers.
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