The Yankees have no real backup plan, once again.
The Yankees knew what they were getting when they traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr. – a dynamic, high-ceiling utility player, who can play second base, shortstop, and in the outfield, too. In fact, he readily agreed to play third base, a position he had never played before professionally, given the Yankees’ then need-of-the-hour. You don’t often find a player as dynamic, flexible, super-utility, and with power. But they also knew about the injury history. And now, just over a month into the season, that history has come knocking again.
Chisholm suffered a strained oblique during Tuesday’s 15-3 rout of the Orioles in Baltimore and was placed on the injured list Friday. According to manager Aaron Boone, the expectation is that he’ll be sidelined for at least four to six weeks.
That leaves the Yankees in a precarious position, one they weren’t fully prepared for, despite Chisholm’s well-documented injury track record. Since the start of the 2021 season, Chisholm has endured roughly 20 different injuries, missed 220 games, and topped 600 plate appearances just once. For a team with solid infield depth, that’s an acceptable risk. For the Yankees, who lack it, it’s a serious problem.
The immediate solution? Jorbit Vivas, a 23-year-old rookie recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday, made his MLB debut that same night in a 3-0 win over the Rays. Boone didn’t hesitate when asked about his playing time. “He’s going to play a lot,” the manager said.
Vivas was originally acquired from the Dodgers in a deal that also brought over Victor Gonzalez, in exchange for infielder Trey Sweeney. Despite two previous call-ups this season, Friday marked Vivas’s first time actually getting into a game. He handled himself well: fielded a tough grounder from Chandler Simpson to start the game, drew two walks, and scored a run on a Paul Goldschmidt home run.
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But even if Vivas looks promising, this is a big ask, not just because of his lack of big-league experience, but because the Yankees have almost no margin for error.
Oswaldo Cabrera has essentially become the everyday third baseman, with DJ LeMahieu still dealing with a calf strain and the aftereffects of a recent hip injection. Oswald Peraza has shown little to suggest he’s ready to contribute at the big-league level and has mostly platooned with Cabrera when healthy. Pablo Reyes is on the roster, too, but more of a utility fill-in than a real solution.
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So the Yankees are, effectively, out of alternatives. They bet on Chisholm staying healthy. They lost that bet. Again.
And while Vivas may prove to be a silver lining, he’s not a one-for-one replacement. Few second basemen are. Chisholm’s mix of power, speed, and swagger made him a foundational piece. But durability remains the elephant in the room.
If Vivas can simply hold the position steady, play solid defense, put together competitive at-bats, avoid looking overmatched, it’ll be a win for the Yankees. But for now, that’s about as high as the bar goes.
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