After a down 2021, DJ LeMahieu seemed to have recaptured his All-Star form through the first half of ‘22. He walked more than he struck out, slashing .279/.383/.403 for a 133 wRC+. But the rest of the way, he limped to an 87 wRC+, with both his strikeout and walk rates trending in the wrong direction. A toe fracture was to blame, and for the veteran entering his age-34 season, hopes weren’t high for a rebound.
LeMahieu got off to a good enough start in 2023, mashing 10 extra-base hits in March/April. But a strikeout rate nearly double his career average warned of what was to come.