Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu ‘itching’ to start rehab process

The waiting is almost over for DJ LeMahieu.

Initially expected to begin a rehab assignment as soon as Friday, LeMahieu was instead in The Bronx, with the plan for him to head down to Tampa on Saturday or Sunday, as the Northeast deals with bad weather and the Yankees wanting to play it safe with his calf injury.

LeMahieu said before Friday’s 9-1, rain-shortened loss to the Giants that it was preferable for him to be at the team’s complex in Tampa, where he could take numerous at-bats against different pitchers, rather than being limited to two or three in a minor league rehab game somewhere else.

Regardless of where LeMahieu is, it will be a while until he has the chance to get back to the majors.

LeMahieu has been sidelined since straining his left calf in his first Grapefruit League game of the spring, coming off another injury-plagued and unproductive season.

“I’m itching to go,’’ LeMahieu said. “It’s been tough and I want to get started.”

He said he’s not limited in what he can do, although given his lack of action during spring training, there’s plenty of work to do before he’s an option for the Yankees.

“It will take a while, but hopefully not too long,’’ LeMahieu said.

The Yankees haven’t found much offense at third base, with Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza mostly making up a lefty-righty platoon that hasn’t had much success — although the team’s .666 combined OPS at the spot is in the middle of the pack in the majors (14th overall).

The 36-year-old LeMahieu is under contract for both this season and 2026 for $15 million apiece, but his lower-leg and foot injuries have sapped much of his production for most of the last four-plus years.

Clarke Schmidt is expected to rejoin the Yankees rotation next week, which likely means Carlos Carrasco (who has been poor but cannot be optioned to the minor leagues without being exposed to waivers), Will Warren (who has been better, but can be optioned) or Marcus Stroman (who required X-rays on his left knee after Friday’s rough start and could need an IL stint) will fall out of the starting group.

“We’ll see,” Boone said before the game.

Boone said Schmidt would debut in “five or six days,” putting him on track either in the finale of a series against the Royals or a series opener in Tampa next week.

The righty was slowed in camp with a back issue and right rotator cuff tendinitis and has built up in two rehab starts.

In his last, Thursday with Double-A Somerset, Schmidt struck out four and allowed three hits in four scoreless innings in which he reached 61 pitches.

“I thought he was sharp,” said Boone, who watched video of the start Friday.

Aaron Judge (0-for-1, two walks) has reached base in 12 of his 13 games this year.

Against lefty Robbie Ray, Trent Grisham (who has hit southpaws well) got the start in center, and Cody Bellinger moved to left field. He went 0-for-2.

Switch-hitting Jasson Domínguez, who has gone 1-for-20 with seven strikeouts against lefties to begin the season, did not play.

The Yankees held a moment of silence for Octavio Dotel, who died at 51 in the roof collapse in the Dominican Republic.

Dotel, the longtime reliever, pitched in 14 games with the Yankees in 2006.