The New York Yankees are shaking up their infield alignment during the stretch run of the regular season. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is headed to the 10-day injured list after imaging revealed a sprained right thumb, an injury he sustained sliding headfirst into second base during the eighth inning of a victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the diagnosis, noting that Chisholm will be shut down from all baseball activities for seven to 10 days. With only weeks remaining in the regular season, the team cannot commit to a specific return date for the infielder.
Anthony Volpe Returns to the Big Leagues at Second Base
To fill the roster spot, the Yankees are promoting Anthony Volpe from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Volpe, who won a Gold Glove as a rookie playing shortstop, was demoted to the minor leagues in early August following a prolonged offensive slump in the majors.
Rather than returning to his old post, Volpe is expected to play second base alongside new starting shortstop George Lombard Jr. During his time in Triple-A, Volpe worked extensively to expand his defensive versatility, logging 19 starts at second base, three at third base, and 15 at shortstop.
Boone expressed confidence in the infielder’s readiness for the major-league pivot. I feel like he’s in a really good spot, obviously, been productive down there and playing really well,
Boone said, noting that Volpe has taken well to the other positions.
Minor League Tear Earns Volpe Another Major League Chance
Volpe’s promotion follows a dominant stretch in Triple-A that earned him high praise within the organization. Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez remarked that his teammate became Barry Bonds all of a sudden
during his minor-league stint.
In his final 17 games at Scranton, Volpe batted .333 with eight home runs and a 1.218 OPS. Ryan Hunt, the team’s infield, outfield, and base-running coordinator, noted that Volpe has excelled defensively at his new position while adjusting to the slightly slower pace of the keystone compared to shortstop.
“Everything that you’d expect from him in terms of being a professional, in terms of his work, in terms of his talent — I mean, we know what the skill set is, right? He doesn’t get enough credit for the work he’s put in to capitalize and maximize his own ability for what he’s done at this point in his career.”
Ryan Hunt, Yankees infield, outfield and base-running coordinator
Offensive Blow as Yankees Chase Division Title
The loss of Chisholm is a significant obstacle for a Yankees squad attempting to catch the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the American League East. Before his injury, Chisholm was finally finding a rhythm at the plate after an up-and-down offensive season, reaching base safely in 13 of his previous 28 plate appearances.
I feel like he has been really putting together some of his best at-bats of the season for an extended stretch,
Boone said of Chisholm. So it’s definitely a blow, but hopefully one that the time down here gets this thing right and puts him in position to impact us moving forward.
In the interim, José Caballero — who replaced Chisholm during Tuesday’s game and started at second base on Wednesday — remains another option for playing time in the middle infield as New York navigates the final weeks of the regular season.