Yankees: Projecting best NYY lineup after DJ LeMahieu joins Stanton and Judge on IL

Here’s the best Yankees lineup after DJ LeMahieu lands on the injured list.

You know the Yankees can’t catch a break when fans can’t even celebrate them dismantling the Boston Red Sox.

Just a few days after AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge joined Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list with a strained calf, DJ LeMahieu and his league-leading .411 batting average were pulled from Saturday night’s win after he sprained his left thumb following an awkward swing.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone disclosed that the X-rays were negative, but New York’s stud leadoff hitter was sent to the hospital for an MRI and CT scan with the expectation that he would accompany his fellow sluggers on the shelf.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, that news was confirmed on Sunday hours before their series finale against Boston. It’ll be a 10-day stint for the three-time All-Star, as the club recalled Miguel Andujar from its alternate training site in a corresponding move. Hopefully, this low-key news drop means the MRI was clean, and it’s a simple thumb issue. Annoying, but it is what it is. Could’ve been the wrist!

There’s obviously no replacing the production of Stanton, Judge and LeMahieu — who have 14 home runs and 35 RBI combined thus far — but the Yankees have enough depth to still be able to field an imposing lineup, which brings up the obvious question: What will be New York’s best card moving forward?

It honestly depends if Boone prefers defense and speed over offense. If we were to assume the third-year skipper fancies the latter, we can expect something like:

1. Aaron Hicks, CF

2. Luke Voit, 1B

3. Gleyber Torres, SS

4. Clint Frazier, DH

5. Gary Sanchez, C

6. Mike Tauchman, RF

7. Miguel Andujar, 3B

8. Gio Urshela, 2B

9. Brett Gardner, LF

Putting Gio Urshela at second base will make the Yankees stronger up the middle, which is extremely important when you consider Gleyber Torres’ struggles at shortstop. Andujar is clearly more comfortable at third than the outfield, and getting his bat in the lineup — assuming he breaks out of his slump at some point — isn’t up for debate with all of these injuries. In late-game situations, the club could sub in Tyler Wade for Andujar at second and move Urshela back over to the hot corner for defensive purposes. And, let’s face it: Wade is going to get some starts in the interim.

Nothing about this is ideal, but New York luckily has enough reinforcements to keep up the winning ways as their superstar sluggers work their way back to the diamond.