DJ LeMahieu’s right foot injury, which ultimately was revealed on Saturday as a non-displaced bone fracture that will be re-imaged in two weeks, called for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to go outside of the organization to bolster the club’s infield depth.
One night before Opening Day, he swung a three-team deal with the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays, acquiring super-utility man Jon Berti, whose track record suggests that he will get plenty of playing time in the Bronx.
Not only can he play five different positions — second base, third, shortstop, left, and right field — but a career offensive year in 2023 in which he slashed .294/.344/.405 suggests the possibility of a surge toward the bottom of the lineup in LeMahieu’s spot.
The problem for Berti, though, is that there already is someone running away with the third-base job — at least for the time being.
Oswaldo Cabrera has been the biggest bopper of the Bronx Bombers’ lineup during their opening series against the Houston Astros, making LeMahieu’s absence a legitimate afterthought.
Across the first three games of the season — all Yankees wins — the 25-year-old third baseman collected seven hits in his first 13 at-bats with two home runs and six RBI. Most of that production has come up in big spots, too.
On Opening Day, his solo home run off Rafael Montero tied the game at four apiece in the sixth inning before the Yankees would rally for one more in the seventh to win 5-4.
On Friday night, he went 4-for-5 with three RBI, featuring a game-tying single in the seventh and a break-it-open two-run single in a 7-1 win.
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, he cranked his second home run of the year off Bryan Abreu to tie the game and set up New York’s 5-3 win, which featured Juan Soto’s first home run as a Yankee.
Soto was expected to be one-half of the Yankees’ dynamic duo this season. Cabrera, however, not so much.
“He’s been tremendous,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Right in the middle of everything obviously in these first three.”
It does not matter where the production comes from for the Yankees, as long as the wins continue to stack up. Bert will have plenty of chances to get in ballgames but for now, third base should belong to Cabrera until further notice.
