NEW YORK — Yankees star infielder DJ LeMahieu will need offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia.

The injury, which has bothered him for weeks, forced him out of Thursday’s win vs. the Blue Jays and sidelined him the first two games of a crucial series with the Rays at Yankee Stadium. LeMahieu saw doctors Friday and received a cortisone shot.

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So, um, what exactly Is a sports hernia?

From WebMD:

A sports hernia is a vague term describing types of weakness in the anterior (front, outside) abdominal wall. As a result of this weakness, contents of the abdomen push out through the lining. An opening or gap in the wall, called a hiatus, forms from the pressure of the abdominal contents. A sports hernia is defined by abdominal contents moving through the hiatus and causing an abdominal bulge that results in a pinching pain. It results in pain and swelling in the lower abdominal muscles and the lower abdominal region.

Yankees first baseman Luke Voit suffered a similar injury that bothered him throughout 2019 and needed offseason surgery, though he said that by the start of 2020, he was fully recovered from it.

LeMahieu has been a disappointment in 2021. In 150 games, he’s hit .268 with 10 home runs, 57 RBI and a .711 OPS. That was after he secured a six-year, $90-million deal following back-to-back top-4 American League MVP finishes. In 2020, he lead the league with a .364 batting average in 50 games.

Manager Aaron Boone said it was possible that LeMahieu could start for the Yankees on Sunday, the final game of the regular season.

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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.