Has Yankees veteran put a hex on his old team? It hasn’t been same since he left

Infielder DJ LeMahieu haunts the Colorado Rockies, the team with whom he spent seven seasons of his career before joining the New York Yankees.

LeMahieu signed with the Yankees in January 2019 as a free agent. The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders said that LeMahieu’s ghost still wields so much power, the team hasn’t been the same without him. He called it the “Curse of LeMahieu” in a story published Sunday.

The Rockies dealt franchise third baseman Nolan Arenado, who was upset with LeMahieu’s departure, to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. The subsequent signings of players like Kris Bryant have not panned out.

Since joining the Yankees, LeMahieu has batted .285/.358/.430 with 73 home runs and 276 RBI in five seasons (2,653 plate appearances). His offensive game has diminished with an OPS+ under 100 in two of the past three seasons.

LeMahieu (broken foot) has not played a game in 2024. He is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.