There are a few points during each season when it seems like the New York Yankees just can’t stop getting injured. Right now is definitely one of those times. Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was also just ejected from a game against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, entered concussion protocol following Monday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers. The injury stemmed from a hard collision with Jasson Domínguez, who was coming in for a pop-up in shallow right field. However, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Chisholm will be available off the bench for Tuesday night’s game against the Tigers, despite entering concussion protocol less than 24 hours ago.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Available Off Bench for Yankees
Chisholm isn’t even the best (or second-best) player that the Yankees are missing right now thanks to injuries: Aaron Judge, Max Fried, Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon have all gone on the injured list within the last six or so weeks. The Yankees’ summer slump has continued with no end in sight. Their record in June is now under .500 after their aforementioned 7-3 loss on Monday, a game in which their only scoring came on a three-run home run from Amed Rosario.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. said he’s available off the bench today
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) June 30, 2026
As for who will take over at second base if Chisholm does happen to end up missing time, there are a few options that the Yankees have, though none of them are great. Still, with the way Chisholm has been hitting as of late, the Yankees might actually be better off using one of their depth players.
Not a Serious Injury
It clearly doesn’t look like Chisholm has a serious injury, but in the unlikely scenario that he does, the Yankees will likely use either José Caballero or Oswaldo Cabrera at second base. Caballero, who’s been playing multiple positions across the field since Anthony Volpe came back to take over at shortstop, has been one of New York’s most valuable assets during this stretch of injuries that are popping up left and right. As for Cabrera, the 27-year-old utility man is still adjusting to being back in the big leagues after missing almost a year’s worth of time thanks to a broken ankle; so far, he has no hits and three strikeouts in six at-bats.
While Rosario (who has a .783 OPS) is also an option for New York at second, they could also reach even further into their depth and call up George Lombard Jr. While this would’ve seemed ludicrous at the start of the season, Lombard has quickly adjusted to Triple-A after making the jump from Double-A just a month into the season. Across 42 games with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders, Lombard Jr is slashing .231/.381/.385, which is quite impressive considering that the young shortstop celebrated his 21st birthday less than a month ago.
The Yankees have been much more proactive this season than in years past with giving some of their top prospects a chance when they’ve earned it, and it certainly seems like Lombard will earn it soon if he hasn’t already.
No Time for Complacency
Even though Chisholm is reportedly still available off the bench, it’s important to note that the Yankees do have a tendency to shield or downplay the true nature of injuries from time to time. Regardless, no matter how badly Chisholm has been hitting as of late (he has a .446 OPS with 11 strikeouts and five hits in his last 10 games), the Yankees simply cannot afford to go much longer without their starters amid this June swoon. The American League is fairly open right now, but that may not be the case for long, so the Yankees might find themselves coming from behind in the AL East once again.
Main Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
