Alexander Wilson
The Yankees left Sunday with another health issue to sort through after Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the 6-1 loss to Minnesota with discomfort in his right big toe.
The good news is the clean part: X-rays came back negative, and he was set to be checked again Monday before the Tampa Bay series. The bad part is the spot. A toe injury for a player who needs first-step burst, quick lateral work, and pressure through his lower half can get annoying fast.
Chisholm singled in the second inning, then got caught in a rundown between first and second. He later said the toe issue affected him on the play. He stayed in until the fifth, but the Yankees eventually replaced him with Jose Caballero while Amed Rosario entered the game.
Yankees have to manage Chisholm carefully
This is not the type of injury where the box score explains much. Chisholm has a 90.5 mph average exit velocity, a 40.3 percent hard-hit rate, a .309 wOBA, and a .292 xwOBA this season. The bat has not been perfect, but the Yankees still need the athlete attached to it.
That matters because he is hitting .225 and already had a chaotic week. He was ejected the previous Sunday, then briefly went through concussion protocol after a collision on Monday. Now the toe goes back on the board, and it is the same right big toe that has bothered him before.
The Yankees do not need another player trying to prove toughness in July if it costs him two weeks of bad movement. I would rather see them steal one cautious day now than watch Chisholm play at 70 percent and turn routine base-running into a problem.
Jazz gives the Yankees another roster check
Aaron Boone can piece together second base for a game or two with Caballero and Rosario if needed. For a short patch, fine.
If the soreness lingers, though, the Yankees have a real roster decision. Chisholm brings energy, power, and pressure on the bases, and this lineup is not in a place where it can shrug that off. Monday’s check matters because the next step is simple: either he moves well enough to play, or the Yankees need to sit him and stop guessing.
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