The 2025 regular season kicks off on Thursday, with the New York Yankees set to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bronx. However, they’ll be missing several key players due to injuries sustained during spring training, which has impacted their roster.
To start, DJ LeMahieu has been sidelined since March 1, when he suffered a calf injury during his second at-bat of spring training. He’s recovering and could begin a rehab assignment soon. LeMahieu has resumed hitting and traveled back to New York with the team, but he mentioned that next Monday “feels like the first week of spring training,” which suggests he might head back to Tampa by the weekend. While it’s unclear why he joined the Opening Day roster, it’s just part of the usual Yankees routine. LeMahieu is expected to be out for another month, needing a proper buildup after missing all of spring training and 95 games last season.
However, LeMahieu’s return isn’t a major concern for the team at this point, as he hasn’t been a key contributor since 2022. The more significant updates revolve around the pitching staff.
Tyler Matzek, a former Braves postseason hero signed to a minor league contract this offseason, is working through an oblique injury and is expected to return by mid-April. He’s been out since February 25 but is anticipated to be a valuable left-handed addition to the bullpen, with Tim Hill as the only other high-leverage option.
As for the rotation, Clarke Schmidt, initially expected to return by April 3, is still recovering from back and shoulder injuries sustained during spring training. He’s only pitched 1 2/3 innings in official games, and the Yankees are focused on ramping up his workload so he can start. For now, Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco will fill in at the back end of the rotation. Schmidt is starting the season on the injured list, and while he was supposed to pitch in a minor league game Tuesday, there have been no updates, which is concerning given the lack of information. It’s likely Schmidt won’t return for at least another month, so the team will rely on Warren and Carrasco to hold down the fort until then.
