After the New York Yankees struck a deal with the Miami Marlins last night for Jazz Chisholm, the immediate question became when we would see him on the field. That question has now been officially answered with the team announcing that Chisholm was activated for the Sunday Night game tonight in Fenway. The left-handed swinging outfielder will play centerfield tonight in his first start, with the vision for Chisholm being that he can play all over the baseball diamond including the infield as well.
The corresponding move for the Yankees was designating J.D. Davis for assignment, which was expected after struggling to get much traction in the Bronx.
Jazz Chisholm Activated, Yankees DFA J.D. Davis As a Result
This season has been a solid one for Jazz Chisholm Jr. who has a 103 wRC+ and 22 steals on the season, but the numbers at the plate could improve in New York. Many have spoken about his character and personality, and while some of it is negative, the Yankees believe they’re getting a hard worker who might benefit from playing for a contender. His talent is obvious, the speed and power are hard to find across the league, and he could have the exact kind of profile the Yankees lack.
He’ll be hitting fifth tonight for the Yankees and he’ll have the tough assignment of playing in Fenway as the Yankees try to steal a series from the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball. The Yankees typically struggle in nationally televised games, but more importantly, they’ve really struggled against Boston. Tanner Houck gets the ball for Boston, and he’s in the middle of an excellent season on the mound, so this isn’t going to be an easy first game with the Bronx Bombers.
J.D. Davis was designated for assignment by the Yankees to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Jazz Chisholm, and his tenure in the Bronx was a failure. A waiver claim to try and replace the right-handed power that Giancarlo Stanton brought to the table, Davis couldn’t find anything at the plate here. He hit .105 with a 20 wRC+ across 7 games, posting a -0.2 fWAR and immediately drawing the ire of fans because of the spots he found himself hitting in right behind Aaron Judge.
The Yankees will kick-off the rubber game of this three-game series in Boston tonight at 7 PM EST, with Carlos Rodon taking the mound looking to build off of an incredible start against the Rays. This is a huge game for both teams, as the Yankees can put the Red Sox further back in the rear-view mirror and the Red Sox can gain some ground in the Wild Card picture as they try to convince their front office to buy at the deadline.