Yankees All-Star third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is moving back to second base starting with Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
Manager Aaron Boone said Chisholm would play second after making 28 starts in a row at third for New York this season. Boone confirmed the change on the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast on Tuesday.
Chisholm has recently been bothered by soreness in his right shoulder, which he said is only an issue on throws.
He is batting .245 with 15 home runs, 38 RBI and 10 steals in 59 games entering Tuesday.
Chisholm said he prefers to play second base and prepared in the offseason to exclusively play in that spot before injuries played havoc with Boone’s lineup card, starting with Chisholm’s oblique injury in May.
Third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera went down with a season-ending ankle injury on May 12 on a slide into home plate at Seattle.
When the Mariners visit on Tuesday night, the Yankees are expected to play Chisholm at second base and enter a platoon at third.
DJ LeMahieu manned second base while Chisholm was at third but Boone has a better glove option in Oswald Peraza, a utility man with a stronger arm plus defensive skills across the infield.
USA Today reported the Yankees are making calls about potential third basemen and could move LeMahieu.
LeMahieu, 36, is batting .266 with two home runs and 12 RBIs this season.