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Yankees Plan to Move Chisholm Jr. Back to Third Base

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The New York Yankees have one of, if not the, best offenses in baseball this season, leading MLB in home runs and OPS, and ranking third in runs. While they’ve received big contributions from almost every position, third base isn’t one of them. With Oswaldo Cabrera out indefinitely with a fractured ankle, Oswald Peraza has been taking the most reps at the hot corner. While his defense has been fine, he has not adjusted to hitting at the major league level, slashing .160/.236/.333 with three homers. DJ LeMahieu, who recently returned from injury, hasn’t been great either, limiting New York’s options for their starting third baseman. However, help is on the way in the form of Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Yankees Likely to Try Jazz Chisholm Jr. at Third Base

Back at the Hot Corner

Chisholm, sidelined since April 29th with a right oblique strain, is likely to return to the Bronx sometime this week, embarking on a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Thursday. According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees plan on switching the 27-year-old back to third base upon his return. Chisholm, naturally a second baseman and center fielder, played in 45 regular-season games at third last season after joining New York.

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With all of their third basemen struggling at this point, it makes sense that the Yankees would want to play Peraza and LeMahieu more at second base. Neither is a liability on defense, but it isn’t ideal to have Peraza’s bat in the lineup. As for LeMahieu, set to turn 37 this season, he just doesn’t have the range that he used to, plus his hitting isn’t much better than Peraza’s.

Here to Win

Asked by the media on Thursday night about the team’s plans to move him back to third, Chisholm said that the Yankees gave him the choice of playing either second or third base. Notably, he added that manager Aaron Boone showed a strong indication that they would prefer for the Bahamas native to go back to third. As a result, he said that he would do whatever the team asked of him, stating “I’m a team guy. I’m here to win a ring. I’m not here to fight over positions. We’ve got some of the best players in the world on our team.

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Based on his comments, it looks like Chisholm will more likely than not return to the role of starting third baseman. Though he’s had mixed results statistically speaking this season, he still has 7 home runs, 17 RBI, and an OPS of .714 through 30 games at second. Just like last season, there may be an adjustment period, but his athleticism and willingness to learn indicate that it likely won’t take long for him to settle in at the position.

Adding to a Packed Lineup

Chisholm’s return to the lineup only adds more fuel to the Yanks’ offensive fire. If Chisholm is able to play even at an average level, the Yankees will have arguably one of the deepest lineups in baseball. As for second base, it looks like it will continue to be a revolving door consisting of Peraza, LeMahieu, and Jorbit Vivas (if he isn’t sent back down to the minors).

In a lineup that consists of red-hot players like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt just to name a few, the Yankees can afford to put an All-Star caliber infielder at third and leave second as a platoon position. This also opens the door later in the season for potential trades, with plenty of second basemen around the majors looking like viable trade targets. But even without another infielder, this Yankees team, already scary for opposing pitchers, will be all the more intimidating with Jazz Chisholm Jr. back in action.

 

Photo Credit: © David Richard-Imagn Images

The post Yankees Plan to Move Chisholm Jr. Back to Third Base appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.