Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. out with high-grade oblique strain: 'It's going to be a while'

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on May 2, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Jazz Chisholm Jr. hoped to avoid the injured list. He didn’t get his wish, however.

The Yankees placed their second baseman on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain on Friday morning. The move, retroactive to April 30, comes after Chisholm underwent an MRI on Thursday, an off day for the Yankees.

On Friday, Aaron Boone said that test revealed a high-grade strain. The manager added that Chisholm’s timeline to return is approximately 4-6 weeks, though he noted the 27-year-old has been a “quick healer” throughout his career.

“I actually just was talking to him a couple minutes ago,” Boone said. “He even said, ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ because he feels pretty good. So we’ll see. I think it’s going to be some time. In his mind, it’s going to be real quick, but I think it’s going to be a while.”

Boone also mentioned that Chisholm’s oblique issue is in “a few spots.”

Chisholm hurt his oblique — he preferred to call it his “flank” — in the first inning of the Yankees' blowout win over the Orioles on Tuesday. The injury occurred on a swing, which prompted a visit from the Yankees’ training staff. However, Chisholm stayed in the game, doubled right away and quickly exited after a head-first slide into third base, as an error allowed him to advance.

After the game, Boone said he was “a little” concerned the injury could lead to an IL stint. Chisholm said the opposite and that he would be “ready to go” after two or three days. He didn’t play in Wednesday’s game.

“I’m really not as concerned as everybody else. I feel pretty good. I’ve torn my oblique before, so I know it’s not torn or anything,” Chisholm said that night, adding that he could cough without pain. “It was just to be cautious.”

With Chisholm hitting the shelf, the team promoted 24-year-old infield prospect Jorbit Vivas.

Vivas, acquired from the Dodgers alongside Victor González for Trey Sweeney in December 2023, is considered the Yankees’ 19th-best prospect by MLB.com. He was hitting .319/.426/.436 with two home runs and 15 RBI at Triple-A this season. He’s already been called up to the majors twice in his career, including once earlier this season, but didn’t play in any games after those promotions.

On Friday, Boone had Vivas penciled in for his MLB debut, batting ninth and playing second. The skipper said he expects the left-handed swinger to “play a lot.”

“I’m looking forward to him getting a little bit of an opportunity here and hopefully taking advantage of that,” Boone said. “He lays the barrel on the ball, and he’s got a little sock to the pull side. He’s very good at second. He’s athletic there. He moves well.

“We feel like we have a good player.”

Vivas, who had a down year last season after suffering an orbital fracture, has also played some third base. However, Boone’s plan is to keep Vivas as second, opposed to him and other capable infielders like Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes moving back and forth between the two positions.

With Vivas set to receive an extended run, Boone said DJ LeMahieu’s timeline won’t be accelerated.

The veteran, another infielder who can play second and third, resumed his rehab assignment at Double-A on Friday after receiving a cortisone shot for his hip earlier this week. There’s still no ETA for LeMahieu, who can also play first.

Same for Stanton ... for now

Boone said it’s been “more of the same” for Giancarlo Stanton (tennis elbows), who was recently moved to the 60-day IL as a formality. That includes running and hitting off high-velocity machines.

However, Boone said the DH could potentially hit live later this week or early next week against the rehabbing Jake Cousins (flexor strain).

Judge, Fried earn monthly honors

In an unsurprising announcement, MLB declared Aaron Judge the American League Player of the Month for March/April on Friday. Judge put up absurd numbers, hitting .427 with a 1.282 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and a 263 wRC+.

Max Fried, meanwhile, took home AL Pitcher of the Month honors. The lefty, who started against the Rays on Friday night, recorded a 1.19 ERA over his first six starts with the Yankees, who won all of those games.