The New York Yankees have been without Jazz Chisholm Jr. since he landed on the injured list with an oblique strain. In his absence, the team also lost Oswaldo Cabrera, their third baseman.
Chisholm was playing second base before his injury, but the Yankees are trying to get him back in the hot corner, considering the little production they have gotten from the spot. Chisholm appeared at third base in his first rehab start and is not complaining about being moved back to third base.
While moving Chisholm to third base will help the Yankees get more production from that spot, it could also hint at an incoming trade, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
“Teams generally use their most athletic defenders in the middle of the diamond, so why are the Yankees playing Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third base on his rehabilitation assignment? One reason: DJ LeMahieu, though less athletic than Chisholm, is more comfortable at second base than third,” wrote Rosenthal. “Another: The supply of second basemen at the deadline might be greater than the supply of third basemen. If LeMahieu fails to sufficiently revive — and he’s batting .184 with a .507 OPS in his first 12 games back from the injured list — Chisholm’s willingness to be versatile would enable them to address either position.”
Chisholm had seven home runs in 30 games before his injury. He played third base for the Yankees last year and held his own defensively. If he continues to play well there, it may be easier for the Yankees to find a second baseman at the deadline than a third baseman. Moving Chisholm now simply gives the Yankees a better look at what they need to do before the trade deadline.
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The ideal scenario for the Yankees would be that LeMahieu finds some of his old form and becomes an everyday player at second base. However, his age, decline and injury history make that very unlikely.
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