You could feel it in the Bronx—the tension, the desperation, the hope. A spark was missing, and fans knew it.
When Jazz Chisholm Jr. went down on April 29, the New York Yankees lost more than a versatile infielder. They lost swagger, energy, and speed.
Three separate oblique tears benched him for over a month, and every week since, the infield looked more and more like a patchwork of duct tape and prayers.
The Yankees weren’t crumbling, but they weren’t complete. It was like watching a Ferrari with a flat tire—still powerful, still fast, but clearly not firing on all cylinders.
The DJ LeMahieu shuffle just didn’t work
Since Chisholm’s injury, the Yankees tried just about everything to plug the third base hole. DJ LeMahieu, Jorbit Vivas, Oswald Peraza, and Pablo Reyes took turns at second and third. None stuck.
The results were dismal. Yankees’ third basemen rank 26th out of 30 teams in MLB with a 60 wRC+. That’s far below what a championship-caliber team should accept.
The rotating cast couldn’t offer power or on-base consistency. What they needed wasn’t just a player—it was an identity.
Chisholm shines in rehab, gives fans reason to believe
All eyes were on Jazz as he quietly ramped up in the Yankees’ farm system this past week. Over just three games in Double-A Somerset, he flashed the athleticism and electricity that made him a fan favorite.
A 151 wRC+ in those rehab games showed he wasn’t just testing the waters—he was ready to dive back in. He beat his original 4-6 week return timeline, coming back in just over a month.
He will be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Guardians.
Of course, there’s a lingering question: did he rush it?
Oblique injuries are tricky. They can linger. And they don’t take kindly to being rushed. But the Yankees are desperate enough to believe that Chisholm’s dynamic upside outweighs the risk.
Why Chisholm matters more than the stats suggest
Yes, his .181 batting average when he went down doesn’t scream “game-changer.” But context matters. He also had seven home runs, six stolen bases, and a 104 wRC+ in fewer than 30 games.
His 0.9 fWAR showed clear on-field value despite the average.
The real draw? Jazz brings disruption. On the basepaths, in the batter’s box, even with his glove—he causes chaos. Pitchers worry when he’s on base. Defenders rush their throws when he’s batting. Teammates feed off his energy.
He’s the guy who turns a single into a double and a routine grounder into an infield hit. The Yankees don’t have many like him.
Third base gets a fix, but second base remains unsolved
With Chisholm expected to take over the hot corner full time, the Yankees are finally getting some stability at third. But second base remains a riddle they haven’t solved.
DJ LeMahieu is a natural fit there when healthy, but even he’s had an uneven season. Vivas (recently demoted to Triple-A), Peraza, and Reyes haven’t made enough of a case to stick.
As a result, the infield still has one soft spot that could haunt them down the stretch.
Chisholm’s return doesn’t solve everything, but it solves something—and for a team aiming for October, that’s a critical start.
Chisholm’s energy could shift the season’s momentum
Sometimes, a season hinges not on a trade or a blockbuster signing, but on a single player rediscovering form at just the right moment.
That’s the hope the Yankees are leaning on now. Jazz Chisholm Jr. isn’t just returning to the field—he’s returning to a team that needs a heartbeat.
The rest of the infield might still be in flux, but for now, the Bronx has a reason to believe again.
Popular reading:
Yankees activate strikeout machine to give bullpen a huge boost