The New York Yankees’ infield needed a change, and Aaron Boone has made it. He announced Jazz Chisholm Jr. would be the second baseman moving forward earlier today.
During an appearance on “Talkin’ Yanks,” Boone announced that Chisholm would be moving back to second base starting today, and he also noted that Oswald Peraza would be playing third base today. During a press conference before tonight’s game, he revealed what that means for DJ LeMahieu.
“I think physically it’s a challenge for him right now, so right now there are no plans of doing that,” Boone said of playing LeMahieu at third base.
“He’s a bat off the bench, or he has some kind of role off the bench,” Boone continued. “We’ll see how the days unfold.”
The Yankees had been catering to LeMahieu’s comfort by playing him at second base and Chisholm at third base. However, LeMahieu’s bat has not been great and he was struggling defensively at second base as well. Chisholm admitted earlier this month that he is more comfortable at second base. He had a negative outs above average at third base as well.
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If LeMahieu is going to serve as a bench player, the Yankees will likely be looking for an upgrade to play third base. The team should have options available at the trade deadline to try and find an everyday player at third base. However, moving Chisholm to second base and getting LeMahieu out of the lineup instantly improves the Yankees’ infield defense.
LeMahieu was once a great player for the Yankees. However, after injuries, his decline was evident and the Yankees could no longer justify keeping him in the starting lineup. Perhaps he is better suited for a bench role anyway at this stage in his career.
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