LeMahieu placed on injured list

NEW YORK -- DJ LeMahieu went through his usual weight-room preparation, ran on the field and hit on Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium, voicing his willingness to play third base in the Yankees’ all-important regular-season finale against the Rays.

Observing that workout, manager Aaron Boone and the coaching staff shook their collective heads. LeMahieu is “too compromised right now” to continue playing through a sports hernia, the Yankees determined, placing the infielder on the 10-day injured list.

“He was willing to do whatever, if we would have wanted him to go out there,” Boone said. “I just feel like he’s too compromised to be able to play at a level close to what we would expect of DJ. In the end, I just don’t think that’s fair to him.”

LeMahieu said recently that he has spent the past several weeks dealing with the injury, which affects him more at the plate than in the field and will require surgery after the season.

He received a cortisone shot this weekend. LeMahieu has not played since exiting in the sixth inning Thursday during the Yanks’ victory over the Blue Jays. The Yankees recalled right-hander Luis Gil from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take LeMahieu’s place on the roster.

“I think he would have gone out there today and played, and laid it all out there,” Boone said of LeMahieu. “That’s just who he is. I had no reservation about that. But I also think, in my mind, after watching him and talking with him -- it was clear that this was the right way to go.”

Boone said that LeMahieu could return for a potential American League Championship Series, should the Yankees advance that far.

“We’ll see how the next week unfolds,” Boone said. “If we get to an ALCS situation, we’ll see if he’s potentially in play at that point.”

The Yankees’ most valuable player in each of the past two seasons, LeMahieu posted a .268/.349/.362 slash line (97 OPS+) in 150 games this year, with 24 doubles, 10 homers and 57 RBIs.

Second baseman Gleyber Torres has served as the Yankees’ leadoff hitter this weekend. With LeMahieu out, Boone said that he envisions mixing and matching with a rotation of Rougned Odor, Tyler Wade and Andrew Velazquez at third base.

“We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us,” Boone said. “We’re excited to go out there and seal the deal here.”