MLB Spring Training: two Yankees sluggers down; one up
By Bill Felber
D J LeMahieu’s offense gave the Yankees a boost while Braves star Ronald Acuna continued to stumble. Here’s a recap of MLB Spring Training games on 3/3.
Our first losers go to the Yankees. Namely, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton; two formidable figures when they’re on the field. But neither has done much this MLB spring training, and Tuesday Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that inertial status is likely to continue for some time into the regular season.
Judge is dealing with muscle discomfort that has kept him out of spring games. “It’s two and a half weeks …and then having a spring training,” Cashman said.
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Stanton’s problem is a calf strain that has limited him to two spring plate appearances. Cashman put that recovery at four to six weeks, which bring him back to the Yankees some time in mid-April.
Winner: D J LeMahieu, New York Yankees infielder
LeMahieu’s performance against the Red Sox Tuesday was a balm to Yankees fans troubled by the nagging injuries to Judge and Stanton.
His leadoff base hit in the first inning touched off a six-run Yankees outburst. LeMahieu came up a second time in the first, singled a second time, and that hit drove in the inning’s final two runs.
Coming off a superb 2019, LeMahieu is hitting .313 this spring.
Winner: Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Facing the Houston Astros Tuesday, Paul DeJong produced two more base hits to continue his torrid spring.
DeJong’s second-inning base hit began a two-run rally in what would become a 6-3 St Louis victory. He singled again in the fourth, although that hit did not lead to any runs.
Dejong now has eight hits – three of them home runs – in 14 MLB spring training at-bats.