Jazz Chisholm Jr. Will Go Back To Second Base For New York Yankees

The New York Yankees plan on moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base, Manager Aaron Boone told the Talkin’ Yanks Podcast. Chisholm has played both second base and third base this season. He has been better at second base than at third. Chisholm was dealing with soreness in his right shoulder, which he said was only affecting him when he tried to throw the baseball.

The Defensive Numbers Are Quite Different At Both Positions

Jazz Chisholm has played 29 games at second base this season and has recorded a positive +3 defensive runs saved. In other words, he’s been a positive defender at second base in 251 innings played this season. At third base, his metrics are flipped. He recorded a -3 defensive runs saved in 239 innings at the position this season.

Jazz Chisholm said that he spent the entire offseason preparing his body to play second base, but Boone had to make adjustments due to the Yankees’ ongoing injury issues this season. Oswaldo Cabrera went down after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in mid-May. That forced the Yankees to move him to third base.

The Yankees Need To Do Whatever It Takes To Stay Afloat

Right now, the Yankees need to focus on winning Baseball games. They are only 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, but Toronto is red hot right now. It looks like they could run away with the division if they become buyers at the trade deadline. New York has a little bit of a cushion in the wild card standings, up a half game on the Tampa Bay Rays and two games up on the Boston Red Sox, the team that is on the outside looking in.

Moving Jazz Chisholm back to his natural position allows the Yankees to get stronger defensively on the field, but it also indirectly makes the Yankees stronger so that Toronto doesn’t run away with the division, and New York stays in the playoff conversation.