The New York Yankees remain cautiously optimistic that infielders DJ LeMahieu and Matt Carpenter will return ahead of the playoffs, according to MLB.com. The Yankees are set to wrap up their regular season schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
LeMahieu, who has not played since Sept. 4 because of toe inflammation, is with the Yankees in Toronto for their series against the Blue Jays. The Yankees had eyed this series as a potential return for LeMahieu, but obviously that won't be the case. Still, manager Aaron Boone expressed some optimism about him making his way back. "I feel like he's going to come back in some way, shape or form, and then we'll see what we've got," he told reporters.
Just last week, LeMahieu told reporters that his toe felt a little better, and that he intended to continue to strive to return. "I don't think at this point it's really going to go away," he said of his condition. "It's just, stay ready and let them know how I feel. I'll be ready to go whenever that day is."
LeMahieu has appeared in 120 games this season, batting .262/.358/.381 (112 OPS+) with 12 home runs. His contributions had been estimated to be worth 3.6 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.
Carpenter, meanwhile, has not appeared since Aug. 8 after breaking his foot on a foul ball. The Yankees continue to view next week's season-concluding series against the Texas Rangers as a potential return date. Boone cautioned that there's a long way to go before the Yankees will know for sure if that's possible.
Carpenter had served as one of the biggest surprises of the season prior to his injury, as he'd hit .305/.412/.727 (217 OPS+) with 15 home runs in 47 contests.
The Yankees entered Monday with a 94-58 record on the regular season. They can clinch the American League East with a victory -- and Aaron Judge could hit a record-tying home run -- on Monday against the Blue Jays.
