A harsh reality awaits DJ LeMahieus impending Yankees return

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.SEATTLE — DJ LeMahieu’s latest, and perhaps last, chance to resurrect his Yankees career is about to arrive.The veteran Yankees infielder is expected to be activated off the injured list Tuesday and make his first start at second base Wednesday against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park after missing the first month and a half of the season with a calf strain he suffered in his second at-bat of spring training.There certainly is a role for LeMahieu to grab, with second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.

currently on the injured list for at least a few more weeks while the Yankees could also use a right-handed hitting complement to Oswaldo Cabrera at third base.They now will get to find out just how much the 36-year-old LeMahieu has in the tank after various lower-body injuries have sapped his production over the past few seasons.He is not expected to be an everyday player at this stage of his career, but Aaron Boone hopes he can at least be “a piece of the puzzle.”“The biggest thing is health,” Boone said Monday before opening the series against the Mariners.

“DJ LeMahieu, [he could] fall out of bed and hit.The biggest thing that’s tripped him up over the years is just the nagging different injuries that have popped up that have slowed him.“Obviously, he’s older now, but I always feel like guys that can really hit like him, if you’re healthy, you can usually really hit late in your career.

Hopefully, he can come and be a real contributor for us.What that role is — does it turn into something more everyday, does it turn into part-time, does it turn into platoon — I don’t know.

But as long as he’s healthy, I won’t be surprised with anything he brings to the table.”The two-time batting champion, who was expected to land in Seattle on Monday night, is in the penultimate year of a six-year, $90 million contr...