Yankees enter sad but familiar territory as DJ LeMahieu injury timeline revealed

TAMPA — DJ LeMahieu’s MRI showed his calf injury was what he thought it was.

That is both good and bad for the Yankees’ veteran third baseman.

LeMahieu underwent imaging that showed a Grade 1 or 2 calf strain, he said Thursday morning.

And while he had yet to talk to the Yankees’ medical staff about an exact timeline, he knows it is going to be a bit before he starts doing baseball activities again, all but ensuring he will open the season on the injured list.

“Couple weeks at least,” LeMahieu said in the clubhouse at Steinbrenner Field.

The 36-year-old, whose last two-plus seasons have been derailed by lower-leg injuries, tweaked his calf in just his second at-bat of the spring Saturday.

“Nothing jumped out of the MRI, other than it is what we thought it was,” he said.

LeMahieu, who still has two years and $30 million left on his contract, entered camp with a chance to win the third base job, but now that competition is down to Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza.

It would not be surprising to see the Yankees add to that position before Opening Day, either, as they often have late in camp the last few years.

For now, LeMahieu is back on the all-too-familiar rehab path.