HOLMDEL, N.J. — Aaron Boone sat down for the Q-and-A portion of his visit to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial & Museum on Friday night and within seconds, the manager was asked about the Yankees’ situation at third base.

It was the very first question of the night, something Boone will be discussing frequently this spring if the Yankees don’t acquire another infielder.

The plan, as Boone articulated in an interview with WFAN last week, is to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. over to second base and hold a competition between a handful of internal options throughout spring training at third.

Oswaldo Cabrera has “earned some opportunity” with his play in recent years, Boone said Friday night. Perhaps former top prospect Oswald Peraza can finally earn a full-time role in the Bronx, taking advantage of an opening in the starting lineup. And then there’s DJ LeMahieu, an aging (and expensive) infielder coming off several injury-riddled campaigns.

“I think a lot of people are counting out DJ,” Boone said. “It wasn’t long ago when DJ was one of the best hitters in the American League. I just want to remind people that the reason he hasn’t is because he’s not been healthy. With health, we think there’s that great hitter still in there a little bit.”

When exactly did Boone see something — anything — from LeMahieu that would indicate he has the ability to recapture his old form?

“It was back in spring training of last year,” Boone told NJ Advance Media. “I thought, ‘man, that looks like DJ.’ He was in such a good spot, came in in really good shape, was ready to go.”

That’s when LeMahieu smoked a foul ball off his right foot in a Grapefruit League game with only a few weeks to go before Opening Day. It eliminated all the momentum that LeMahieu had built after the rough year he had in 2023, leading to even more career lows in 2024.

“He was playing catch up and had some minor things throughout the year that also crept up on him,” Boone said. “I really think for him, it’s a matter of health. If he’s healthy, there’s no doubt in my mind he can contribute.”

LeMahieu, who turns 37 this summer, slashed .204/.269/.259 over 67 games last year. After the grand slam he hit in Philadelphia on July 31, LeMahieu had one double with zero other extra base hits for the rest of his season, a campaign that ended with a right hip impingement in early September. Mix the last two years together and the same hit machine who won two batting titles earlier in his career has a .232 batting average with a .663 OPS and 85 wRC+.

Still, Boone can’t ignore the correlation between the steep dip in LeMahieu’s numbers and his uptick in compromising injuries.

He referenced LeMahieu’s performance in 2022. LeMahieu had an OPS north of .800 and a .280 batting average on the year midway through August before a separate right foot injury brought his production to a screeching halt.

“I remember the game in Boston where he was at about a .400 on-base, setting the table for [Aaron] Judge and then he was a shell of himself,” Boone said. “He tried to grind through it for the next three, four or five weeks and it really depressed his numbers. You look back on that season and you’re like, ‘oh it wasn’t that great of a season,’ but he was in the middle of an outstanding season.”

To bank on LeMahieu reviving his career after years of injuries and poor production is a risk to say the least. It’s not impossible. LeMahieu might show up to camp and make it clear right away that he has a clean bill of health and was able to turn a corner this past offseason. Who knows how last year would’ve gone if he didn’t get hurt in March. Maybe the Yankees use a platoon between LeMahieu and Cabrera, putting them in advantageous matchups offensively. It could also backfire. Then, if Cabrera or Peraza don’t step up, the Yankees would have a gaping hole in the bottom of their lineup, something that could’ve been prevented with one more offseason move.

It’s reminiscent of the Yankees entering the 2023 season with Aaron Hicks in left field. They didn’t address what was shaping up to be a glaring need and it hurt them in the long run. Hicks, who also struggled with staying healthy as he got older, was designated for assignment and subsequently released after only 28 games played.

LeMahieu is owed $15 million for each of the next two seasons, the last two years of his six-year, $90 million contract. The Yankees were still on the hook for just under $30 million when they cut ties with Hicks, the rest of his seven-year, $70 million extension.

External options to upgrade at third are still available, but at this stage of the offseason, they’re limited. Boone didn’t rule an acquisition out. Until then, LeMahieu will have his shot to prove those counting him out wrong.

“There’s no guarantees, obviously,” Boone said, “but I know how great of a hitter he is. With some health, hopefully he can carve out a role for himself.”