BOSTON — For a few seconds in the eighth inning Sunday night, the Yankees held their breath.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., in his first game as a Yankee after being traded by the Marlins on Saturday, took an unintentional elbow to the jaw while rounding second base and hit the deck in pain.
As Chisholm lay on the ground, manager Aaron Boone and a trainer went to check on him, but he remained in the game.
Seconds later, he stole third base without getting too tired and then scored on a sacrifice fly to cap the Yankees’ 8-2 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
After arriving at the stadium about an hour before first pitch due to plane and traffic issues in the city, Chisholm started in center field and batted fifth while enjoying his first game with his new team.
“It was super exciting,” Chisholm said after an eventful 24 hours, during which he received a congratulatory message from the prime minister of his native Bahamas. “Every kid dreams of being a Yankee. That’s the most famous baseball team that Derek Jeter played for. Everybody’s favorite player was Derek Jeter when I was growing up. He was my owner (on the Marlins). So I thought that’s all I cared about, to come out and put on the uniform.”
Next step for Chisholm: a change of position.
The Yankees plan to move him to third base, where he could start filling a big hole in Monday’s series opener against the Phillies in Philadelphia.
Chisholm, a natural shortstop who has played second base and center field, has never played third base in his professional career. But the Yankees believe he has the athleticism and talent to play the role.
“For me, it’s going somewhere, especially as a winning team and they’re asking me to go somewhere to help them win, I’m definitely going to go out there and do it,” Chisholm said. “I feel like I’m a really good infielder, so I’ve just got to go out there and catch the ball.”
Manager Aaron Boone was pleased that Chisholm was open at third base.
“I think that’s something that’s been a part of his game and will continue to be a part of his game, that defensive versatility,” Boone said. “He’s a really good athlete starting at shortstop, he’s got that kind of skill set. Obviously, he’s moved to the outfield, shown the ability to play in the middle of the infield. We’re just going to get to work with him and try to get him in shape and comfortable.”
“But I’m excited to have him. We’re a better team today, a better squad today with him here. I’m excited, and I know he’s really excited to be here, too.”
Boone said the Yankees will also allow Gleyber Torres to work out before the game at third base, where he hasn’t played since 2018 as a minor leaguer.
But Boone indicated he would be “reluctant” to move him there because Torres – who didn’t seem thrilled about the idea of playing third base – “naturally” wants to stay at second base.
“When we look back in two, three, four weeks, hopefully we’ll be in a position where we’re really comfortable with where the guys are on the field,” Boone said. “Jazz has been playing center field for a while now. I feel like it might be easier to move him to a new position than it is to move two guys to newer positions. But I’m going to be open to a lot of things.”
It’s also possible the Yankees could make other moves before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline that would help ease Chisholm’s playing time.
For now, the Yankees need Chisholm — who is under team control through 2026 — to take over at third base because DJ LeMahieu has been a shadow of his former self since returning from a non-displaced foot fracture in late May.
They’re also looking for a spark for a roster that has struggled to produce consistently outside of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.
Those struggles have been particularly problematic in the leadoff spot, where Chisholm has experience, but Boone said he plans to keep the left-handed hitting Chisholm in the middle of the order at least for now, with Alex Verdugo (against righties) and Torres (against lefties) occupying the leadoff spot.
Having Chisholm in the middle of the order, instead of up top and getting on base when Soto and Judge are up top, could allow Boone to be more aggressive in giving him the green light to steal bases.
Chisholm, who will wear No. 13 as a Yankee, has 22 of 30 stolen bases this season with the Marlins.
New York Post
