Yankees spring training preview: Top 5 issues to watch including DJ LeMahieu return

Major League Baseball's lockout created a communications embargo, blocking any interaction between players and management.

Players coming off surgeries were on their own after Dec. 2, when the owners locked out 40-man roster players.

And if you wanted to track the progress of certain players, you had to go through third parties or follow Instagram accounts for occasional workout postings – if they were active on social media.

Now that spring training camps are opening, here are a few items for the 2022 Yankees to consider off the bat:

1. DJ LeMahieu’s bounce back

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, and still trying to clinch a wild card berth, the Yankees announced that DJ LeMahieu was being shut down due to a sports hernia.

It was difficult news at a critical time, but it provided at least a partial reason for LeMahieu’s subpar season following two top-four AL MVP finishes in 2019 and 2020.

Having slashed an impressive .336/.386/.536 over his first 195 games as a Yankee, LeMahieu was not the same in 2021 (.268/.349/.362) over 150 games.

“There was a curiosity with what was going on,’’ GM Brian Cashman said at the time. “And now, we really think we have a legit answer why.’’

LeMahieu underwent core surgery in October, with an eight-week recovery time.

And based on his participation in Tampa-area workouts with teammates since February, LeMahieu appears to be healthy and on schedule.

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2. Jameson Taillon’s ankle

Is he ready to rejoin the Yankees’ rotation right away, or is May a more realistic timetable?

Following offseason surgery to repair his right ankle tendon, Taillon’s status remains a question, though he’s trending in the right direction.

The right-hander has occasionally provided progress reports via his Twitter and Instagram accounts, most recently posting video of him pitching indoors at Rice University.

Just before the Oct. 28 procedure, Cashman said Taillon would require five months of recovery until he was “fully operation and back’’ to pitching in games.

Will the delayed start to the 2022 MLB season allow Taillon to jump right back into the rotation, or will he first need a couple of minor league rehab starts?

Stay tuned.

3. Aaron Hicks' latest return

Entering his seventh season in pinstripes, Aaron Hicks’ Yankees career has felt like an endless series of comebacks.

Hicks played in just 32 games last year before undergoing season-ending left wrist surgery.

The bulk of Hicks’ rehab concluded in December, and he knocked off some rust by playing 12 games in the Dominican Winter League, slashing .265/.321/.408 with four doubles and a homer in 53 plate appearances.

Now at age 32, the switch-hitting Hicks is once again penciled into the Yankees’ lineup as the everyday center fielder, though it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan.

Hey, there’s always a chance the Yankees reunite with veteran free agent Brett Gardner.

Currently, the Yankees’ center field depth - unless you consider Aaron Judge and Joey Gallo at the position - consists of perennial prospect Estevan Florial and former three-time Gold Glove award winner Ender Inciarte, a non-roster player.

4. Gerrit Cole's spotlight 

The last scene of Gerrit Cole’s 2021 season wasn’t a good one.

At the Yankees’ most critical hour, he was finished after two innings at Fenway Park – a bitter wild-card loss to the Boston Red Sox.

“When it’s all said and done, I didn’t perform the way I wanted to perform,’’ Cole said afterward, a statement that could have covered much of his second half.

Cole dealt with a hamstring issue over the season’s final month, but MLB’s ban of grip-enhancing substances seemingly had the most impact on the ace’s year.

Prior to the ban, Cole posted a 2.31 ERA with 117 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 14 starts.

Over his final 16 regular-season starts, Cole had a 4.12 ERA with 129 strikeouts and 29 walks.

Perhaps a league-wide solution is coming to enable pitchers to legally improve their grip on baseballs. There seemed to be a trend toward that aim until the MLB lockout consumed everything.

5. Luis Severino's comeback

Due to Tommy John surgery and a series of physical setbacks, Luis Severino hasn’t started a regular-season game for the Yankees since 2019.

And that year, the right-hander made just five starts – including two in postseason.

This promised to be a normal offseason for Severino, who is expected to slot back into manager Aaron Boone’s rotation following a promising September cameo as a reliever.

Severino just turned 28, and he still has the stuff to be a frontline starter, though it’s been four years since his last full season – posting a 19-8 record and 3.39 ERA as an All-Star in 2018.

Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Yankees analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: caldera@northjersey.com Twitter: @pcaldera