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Injured infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. of Yankees may return from injury sooner than expected.
The New York Yankees are putting it all together, winning eight of their last 10 games heading into their Memorial Day matchup in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. At 32-20 the Bronx Bombers lead the American League East by six games over the second place Tampa Bay Rays, and own they second-best record in the AL.
Even as they pull away from their competition, the Yankees have been beset by injuries — most recently to third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera who suffered a horrifying ankle injury on a play at home plate in Seattle earlier this month.
Little by little, however, tidbits of good news have been finding their way to the Bronx. On Sunday, Yankees general manager gave an optimistic update on designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton who has missed the entire season with tendinitis in both elbows. The slugger – who has more career home runs (429) than any active player — is expected to start a rehab assignment in about two weeks, Cashman said.
Chisholm’s Oblique Injury Worse Than it Seemed
Then there’s second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who on April 29 was forced to leave a game against the Baltimore Orioles with what was initially described as “right flank discomfort.”
Chisholm after that game told reporters that he felt “fine.” But he was not fine. On a one-year, $5.85 million contract, the 27-year-old native of the Bahamas had in fact suffered multiple tears to the oblique muscle on the right side of his body.
The prognosis on such a complex injury was not great. But Chisholm, one of only eight Bahamian players ever to appearing the Major Leagues, remained optmistic. And earlier this week, he posted a confident, five-word message to his Instagram story.
The message contained a video of the inured Yankees second baseman taking what appeared to be unrestrained swings in a batting cage — with the words, “We gon have a problem.”
Also speaking earlier in the week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone described Chisholm as “asymptomatic”from his oblique injury, according to MLB Network Yankees correspondent Bryan Hoch.
“Boone added that Chisholm may need to play in one or two Minor League games on rehab,” according to Hoch.
Could Return as Early as Start of June
“Prior to the setback, Chisholm encountered an uneven beginning to the 2025 season,” wrote Sara Molnick of the Yankees site Pinstripes Nation. “Across 30 games and 125 plate appearances, he compiled a .181/.304/.410 performance line with seven home runs, 17 RBIs, and six stolen bases. Despite the offensive decline, his fielding remained exceptional. Throughout 251 innings at second base, he accumulated three Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average, confirming his Gold Glove standard capability.”
The Yankees picked Chisholm up from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline last year, in exchange for three minor leaguers — including the No. 19 and No.20 ranked prospects in the Yankees system, catcher Agustin Ramirez and infielder Jared Serna.
Chisholm hit against high-velocity pitching over the past weekend, and could begin his rehab assignment as early as May 27, according to an MLB.com report.
Rehab assignments for hitters are capped at 20 days, but according to Boone’s estimate of a rehab that lasts only one or two games, Chisholm could return as early as the first week of June.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. Vankin is also the author of five nonfiction books on a variety of topics, as well as nine graphic novels including most recently “Last of the Gladiators” published by Dynamite Entertainment. More about Jonathan Vankin
