Jazz Chisholm was not concerned about the oblique strain that caused him to be removed during the Yankees‘ visit to Baltimore, but an MRI revealed a far more severe injury. Aaron Boone told the media that Chisholm has a “high-grade” oblique strain, which could be out for a while. His estimated time out is 4-6 weeks, according to Boone, who also mentioned that infielder Jorbit Vivas, who was promoted from Scranton, is expected to get some playing time with the speedy Chisholm sidelined.
It’s a tough blow to the Yankees, who already lack infield depth and will have that depth chart tested even further as they’ll have Jorbit Vivas, Oswald Peraza, and Pablo Reyes try to carve out a regular role on this roster.
High-Grade Oblique Strain For Jazz Chisholm Is a Tough Blow For Yankees
Jazz Chisholm had produced a 108 wRC+ and +3 Outs Above Average with the Yankees through his first 30 games of the season, but he’ll lose a notable chunk of his 2025 campaign with this oblique injury. The speedy infielder seemed to sustain this injury while taking a swing in the first inning of their 15-3 win over the Orioles on Tuesday, but it was made worse when he recorded a hit and successfully legged out a triple, where he was writing in pain and would have to be removed from the game.
After the game, he spoke to the media and seemed confident that this was a minor issue, but the imaging came back and revealed a high-grade strain in his oblique. It’s a shock to Chisholm, who described it more as a day-to-day thing, believing they had caught something early before it could become severe, but the strain will sideline him for around 4-6 weeks, according to Aaron Boone.
Jorbit Vivas will step up in his place to fill the void at second base against right-handed pitching at the very least, and it’ll be his first extended look at the big leagues.
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Across 26 Minor League games, Vivas is hitting .319 with a 139 wRC+, as his contact rates and chase rates are much improved from last season. The scrappy infielder relies on spraying line drives across the field and working the count to get on-base, and the Yankees are hoping his plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills can translate to the Major Leagues in the meantime.
The Yankees acquired Vivas from the Dodgers alongside Victor Gonzalez last winter, sending shortstop Trey Sweeney to Los Angeles who was eventually used to acquire Jack Flaherty from the Tigers. New York will provide an interesting environment for Jorbit Vivas to hit in, as while the smaller dimensions of Yankee Stadium could suppress his batting average, the short porch in right field might allow some of his pulled flyballs to leave the yard. His quality of contact has improved alongside the contact rates, and he’ll make his MLB debut tonight against Ryan Pepiot of the Rays.