Jazz Chisholm back in Yankees lineup after being activated from IL
It sounded ambitious, and perhaps a tad unrealistic, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. said last week he could be back after a minimum stay on the injured list for his UCL sprain.
Turns out he knew best.
The Yankees activated Chisholm off the 10-day injured list Friday — the first day he was eligible to return after giving the Yankees a scare when he injured his left elbow Aug. 12 in Chicago — and threw him right back into the lineup, batting fifth and starting at third base against the Rockies.
“I guess a little bit [surprised], but I know he wanted to play the Friday [in Detroit] after the day off when we put him on the IL,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday before the series-opening, 3-0 win in The Bronx. “So I know he was [champing] at the bit there. And then as you’ve seen him ramp up this week, go from cage [batting practice] — watching him in there going, ‘Oh, OK’ — and then watching him on the field, like, ‘Yeah, he’s showing you this is really a non-issue for him and what he had been talking about.’ So maybe a little surprising, but based on what he felt like in the first couple of days, I’m not blown away.”
Boone indicated that Chisholm, who did not need to get any further imaging to be cleared for his return, would be a full-go and not need to be eased back in.
The fact it was his non-throwing elbow and the top arm in his swing (as a left-handed hitter) helped expedite Chisholm’s return.
Swinging a bat was the main hurdle to clear and he passed those tests with flying colors over the last few days after not picking up a bat until Monday.
The Yankees are generally conservative with players returning from injuries and err on the side of caution, even if it means taking a few extra days to make sure they are in the clear.
Chisholm bucked the trend this time around.
“He definitely wanted to [come back], but he was showing all the signs that we needed to see to give him the go-ahead to get back out there,” Boone said. “Feel really good about where he’s at. Just watching him move around and swing, looks really good.”
The Yankees will find out how Chisholm’s elbow responds to full game action, as Boone had said last week that they might not know if they are fully out of the woods until Chisholm was going “full-bore.” Chisholm was confident he could avoid surgery (even in the offseason) unless his elbow got worse upon coming back.
Chisholm, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Friday, was hoping to pick up where he left off after hitting .316 with a 1.062 OPS and seven home runs in 14 games since being acquired from the Marlins a few days before the trade deadline.
He had provided an instant spark with his energy and seamlessly transitioned to playing third base for the first time in his career to fill a need for the Yankees.
That hit a speed bump when Chisholm got hurt diving head-first into home plate against the White Sox, with his left elbow taking the brunt of the tag, but he proved to be a fast healer.
“[It’s] no secret how well he’s played for us since he’s come over,” Boone said. “Obviously a scary situation there in Chicago initially, but he’s responded great.”
Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza had filled in for Chisholm at third base while he was out, but Cabrera will return to a utility role while Peraza was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday night.