Yankees: DJ LeMahieu’s response to getting night off is just perfect

Aaron Boone gave Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu a day off on Saturday, and he almost gave it right back.

At this point, Yankees fans can almost expect it the way they anticipate the clock striking noon: One star arrives, another one disappears into the ether.

Most thought that Gio Urshela’s dismissal to the IL was more than enough karmic retribution for Gleyber Torres’ ascendance to the roster on Saturday afternoon, but apparently, we were mistaken.

Using a night game after a doubleheader to his advantage, Aaron Boone banished DJ LeMahieu to the bench for Saturday’s contest against the Orioles. LeMahieu has admittedly been taxed quite a bit since returning earlier than we expected from his thumb sprain (and also got a hesitant start to the season after a back-and-forth sequence of positive tests for COVID-19).

A day off made sense in a vacuum, but in 2020, it still set off a full-fledged Yankee panic, which Boone tried to quell about 10 minutes after the lineup was released.

It didn’t, uh … it didn’t do all that much, though.

Yankees Universe was still relatively furious, assuming they’d have 3/4 of their infield on Saturday at long last. And after all, when is a Yankee ever just resting? There’s always something. Remember when Aaron Judge was totally fine after he exited in the sixth inning of that Braves game the Yanks almost choked away.

Well, for a little reassurance, we went directly to the source. Hey, DJ LeMahieu: Did you want a day off today?

He never does. He never does.

For those asking, yes, DJ LeMahieu is the team MVP simply because this attitude is always appreciated. He’s the Vibes MVP.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton want to be out there to the same degree, of course, but they’re both being sat on by management to confirm they’ll be 1000% for the postseason — at least, we hope. Judge famously played through a fractured rib and lung puncture last October, and Stanton has been emotionally stunted by his recent bouts with a series of soft-tissue issues.

But we’re not sure either of them could deliver a line like this in such beautifully deadpan fashion. That’s my DJ.

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