CHICAGO – As expected, Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be out for a while.
The New York Yankees placed the third baseman on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday because he suffered a sprained left elbow, according to the team. The decision is retroactive to August 13.
Chisholm injured his elbow in Monday’s loss to the White Sox when he slid headfirst into home base. On Tuesday, Aaron Boone said Chisholm suffered an ulnar collateral ligament injury, but the severity was unknown.
Boone said that remained the case Wednesday, but Chisholm had been suspended from baseball activities.
“We’re waiting for people to weigh in on that later today,” Boone said. “So we’ll see how it goes. I can tell you that Jazz is pretty encouraged about his feelings and stuff. Hopefully that’s a good sign.”
The manager added that Chisholm will be treated and tested for range of motion on Wednesday. Boone is “reasonably optimistic” that Chisholm won’t miss too much time, but he doesn’t know when the left-handed, right-throwing pitcher will pick up a bat again.
“I know in his head he feels like he could do it now,” Boone said.
Chisholm has made a huge impact on the Yankees in his short time with the team. Not only has he learned the third base position on the fly, but since joining from the Marlins, he has hit seven home runs, recorded 11 RBIs, and posted a .316/.361/.702 slash line in 14 games.
“He was a dynamic player for us,” Boone said. “He provided power and speed. He did a great job on defense. He was great in our space. Hopefully it won’t be too long and we can get him back.”
Chisholm said Monday that he was “not overly concerned” about the injury, but that the Yankees will now have to resort to alternate options at third base with their biggest addition at the trade deadline on hold.
Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu are among those options, and the club promoted Oswald Peraza in a corresponding move for Chisholm. Peraza, 24, is batting .304/.398/.588 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in his last 27 minor league games after suffering a shoulder injury in spring training and getting off to a poor start to the season.
“He’s really had a good month down there in Triple-A,” Boone said, noting that Peraza could be used against left-handed pitchers. “He’s really started to play well. We know he’s talented, so it’s been nice to see him really find his feet down there. Hopefully he can come here and get some opportunities.”
Peraza added: “You get through the injury, get healthy, get back on the field, but now it’s like starting from scratch again. So the season is definitely at a different pace. But I’ve been working really hard and in the last month I definitely felt like I was back where I needed to be.”
Jon Berti could also be an option at the third position in the coming weeks. On Tuesday, Boone said Berti (calf) could begin rehab in the next week or so.
Chisholm wasn’t the only Yankees deadline signing to receive bad news on Wednesday, as the team named Enyel De Los Santos as its new signing.
The right-handed reliever, signed by the Padres, had a 14.21 ERA in 6 1/3 innings for the Yankees. In Monday’s game, he allowed eight hits and seven earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Among the factors that led to De Los Santos’ firing, Boone cited the lack of a bullpen, the Yankees’ recent doubleheaders and the need for a starter as the team did not feel Wednesday could be a good day for the bullpen.
“Tough decision,” Boone said. “I think he’s definitely better than the last few results where he’s had some tough outings.”
In another expected and appropriate move, the Yankees promoted Will Warren to start the Series finale in Chicago on Wednesday.
Peraza’s toe tapping
When asked about his recent improvement in hitting, Peraza said he started tapping his toes again over two weeks ago, which puts him in a more comfortable position to hit.
He started using the toe tap again for a few games at two strikes, hitting a few home runs, so it’s now a full-time part of his swing again.
“He’s really worked hard on his load to get better at getting behind the ball,” Triple-A hitting coach Trevor Amicone told the Daily News. “He sees the ball better and he can fight better, so it was important for him to simplify his movements to the ball a lot.”
Peraza also said it was crucial to regain his confidence after posting a .205 batting average in his first 44 games this year. Now he gets another chance at the major league level with a club that hasn’t shown much confidence in him over the past two seasons.
“It’s great to be back here with this ballclub,” Peraza said. “I worked very hard in Triple-A and waited for the opportunity. To be here, I just want to help in any way I can, contribute in any way I can.”
The other deadline move
With Chisholm on the injured list and De Los Santos no longer eligible for transfer, the only active member of the Yankees’ trade deadline is Mark Leiter Jr. The former Cub hasn’t been particularly good, posting a 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings. However, all four runs he allowed as a Yankee have come in his last two appearances.
“Nothing I’m too worried about,” Boone said, noting that the effectiveness of Leiter’s splitter has varied. “I still think he plays a really important role for us.”
The Yankees added Leiter to an unreliable bullpen because he was racking up so many strikeouts, but with him not being up to par recently and De Los Santos being released, it’s fair to question whether the Yankees have done enough to address the bullpen problem.
Progress among the pitchers
Clarke Schmidt (lat) held his last live batting practice on Wednesday. According to Boone, everything went well. The manager believes Schmidt’s next step is to hold another live BP practice, which will allow him to stick to his four-day schedule and increase his pitching more aggressively.
Lou Trivino (Tommy John surgery/elbow inflammation) began rehab at Double-A Somerset on Wednesday. Boone hopes he can be a bullpen option even though he hasn’t pitched since 2022.
Finally, Cody Poteet (triceps) will host his next live BP session on Thursday.
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