The New York Yankees couldn't finish off the sweep Wednesday night, but they were playing with house money after winning their fourth straight series to start the season. They experienced a first in their finale against the Miami Marlins, though.
Manager Aaron Boone got ejected for arguing balls and strikes! An annual favorite of Yankees fans. He was very much in the right, too.
He nearly sparked a rally on two different occasions. The Yankees nearly made it happen in the bottom of the eighth and bottom of the ninth innings, but a Gleyber Torres strikeout and an Aaron Judge pop out killed the rallies.
The Yankees lost 5-2, but they got to go home with this.
Yankees News: Aaron Boone ejection, DJ LeMahieu and Tommy Kahnle injury updates
But again, the Yankees won their first four series of the 2024 season, and that's without a number of key/veteran players that were expected to play integral roles on a championship-caliber roster. But what's a Yankees offseason if there aren't any back-breaking injury revelations?
These two, in particular, were a bit overlooked due to the larger concerns surrounding Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge (and also due to the fact they hardly contributed in a meaningful manner last year or prior to that).
First, it was revealed reliever Tommy Kahnle's shoulder injury from last season still had him on a delayed timetable for the start of 2024 (even though fans were assured that wouldn't be the case). But it came as no surprise because much of Kahnle's time in New York has been unfortunately defined by injuries.
Then came DJ LeMahieu, who fouled a ball off his foot (how many times is this going to happen?) and was initially believed to be "fine" (which is how you know he wouldn't, in fact, be "fine"). LeMahieu was held out of action because his foot didn't respond like the way the medical staff had hoped. Then he went for an MRI. Then, a non-displaced fracture was revealed after the team thought it was only a contusion.
Thankfully, the Yankees' depth has gotten the job done, so the absences of these two haven't necessarily been felt. But now that they're on the mend, there's a lot to look forward to.
Yankees News: Encouraging injury updates on DJ LeMahieu and Tommy Kahnle
It's still unclear when either will be back, but LeMahieu was seen taking batting practice at Yankee Stadium before Wednesday's series finale against the Miami Marlins, and manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Kahnle would throw a bullpen session on Friday. LeMahieu will also travel with the team on the upcoming road trip as he ramps up baseball activities.
Those are massive updates for oft-injured veterans whose statuses had been worrying fans as the 2024 expectations only intensify. If the Yankees can have LeMahieu and Kahnle playing to a semblance of their abilities, the team will be much better off.
The infield can rotate players around and provide more rest while the bullpen can gain another high-leverage arm following the loss of Jonathan Loaisiga.
The pessimist in us is sadly waiting for one of these updates to not turn out as rosy as some might be expecting. There are frequently delays or setbacks whenever it comes to Yankees players rehabbing from injuries.
But for now, we'll enjoy the current ride the Yankees are taking us on and hope that LeMahieu and Kahnle are back in their expected roles as soon as they possibly can be.