From Bryan Hoch:
The Yankees were preparing to depart on their recent West Coast trip when Jazz Chisholm Jr. appeared in the doorway of Aaron Boone’s office, seeking clarity about the focus of his scheduled Minor League rehab assignment. The manager had been mulling this conversation for a few days.
Chisholm began this season as the Yankees’ Opening Day second baseman, and he considered that to be a more natural fit, believing his days at third base were done. But when Boone brought up the idea of a return to the hot corner, Chisholm replied: “I just want to win. I want a ring.”
So there he was on Tuesday, pounding his glove once more at third base, activated from the injured list after missing all of May with a right oblique strain. He celebrated the occasion with a Eurostep, dancing across home plate after slugging a go-ahead home run that helped power the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Guardians at Yankee Stadium.
The thing that irks me about this whole “Wow, what a teammate!” stuff about Jazz is that he clearly DOESN’T want to play third base. It isn’t like he’s saying, “I don’t care which position I play.” He’s saying, “I’ll play third base if that’s what you want.”
And that’s fine. But that’s what MOST players do. Guys like Raffy Devers, Gleyber Torres and Derek Jeter are the OUTLIERS. MOST players just play whatever position you tell them to play. It really isn’t that big of a deal.
But hey, sure, good for Jazz for not being a dick about it, i guess!
He had a great return, including a sparkling defensive play and the go-ahead home run. The lineup improvement from Peraza to him is huuuge, especially as it moves everyone else down one spot in the lineup. It really lengthens the lineup.
Carlos Rodon was great again. Devin Williams was not. It will be a rough month waiting for Luke Weaver to return.
Featured image is Escarra congratulating Rodon.
The basic problem with Williams is pretty clear: he gets to 0-2 or at least 1-2 on almost everybody. But he has to work like crazy to put them away. Whether it’s psychological, or whether his approach gets balls by guys when they’re swinging from their heels, but not when they’re cutting down with two strikes, I’m not sure.
I mean, he gets those FIRST TWO STRIKES nearly every damned time!
Yay for good Rodon.
Do we think Fried just lost his command against the Dodgers, or did they have a tip on him again (as they did the second time they faced him in October 2020)?
Assuming everyone returns to full health by October (ha!), would these be the best lineups based on what we’ve seen?
Vs RHP:
1) Rice DH
2) Judge 9
3) Bellinger 7
4) Goldschmidt 3
5) Dominguez 8
6) Chisholm 5
7) Lemahieu 4
8) Wells 2
9) Volpe 6
PH options: Stanton (RHB)
vs LHP:
1) Goldschmidt 3
2) Grisham 8
3) Judge 9
4) Bellinger
5) Stanton DH
6) Chisholm 5
7) Lemahieu 4
8) Wells/Rice 2
9) Volpe 6
PH options: Rice/Wells (LHBs), Dominguez (Switch, but really LHB)
It feels crazy to write Lemahieu’s name in a lineup after the last couple years. Like, he’s hit the ball decently hard a couple times since coming back, and as long as he isn’t hurt then he’s better than the alternatives; but it really feels like he could shatter at a moment’s notice.
DJLM has a low bar to stay in the lineup – be better than the two guys who can’t hit at all. But if cashman can find anything in the trade market at 2b or 3b he’s gotta go get that guy.
I don’t think you can trust LeMahieu higher than 9th.
If he ever started to hit consistently, you’d lead him off. Since he won’t, you gotta keep him 9th.
https://x.com/BryanHoch/status/1930337034834518304?t=FJS_-MA1eUQqICEolWin9w&s=19
We’re all day-to-day, as the SportsCenter guys used to say.
Big Fan, all the best for your mom and dad. I’ve been going through a difficult period with an older brother. He had a terrible bacterial infection (necrotizing fasciitis), thus numerous debridements, in bed for 3+ weeks, muscle atrophy because of the inactivity. Now he’s off to a nursing home for rehab of several weeks.
Dang, best of luck to him, Don. That nonsense take SO much out of you.
The Rockies(!) swept a 3-game series.