Yankees say Jazz Chisholm Jr. has high-grade oblique strain

NEW YORK — Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. could miss four to six weeks with a high-grade oblique strain, manager Aaron Boone said Friday.

“In his mind, it’s going to be real quick, but I think it’s going to be a while,” Boone said. “We’ll just see how he heals up.”

Chisholm suffered the injury taking a swing against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. He was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday a day after undergoing an MRI. Infielder Jorbit Vivas was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Chisholm on the active roster. He made his major league debut Friday at second base against the Tampa Bay Rays, batting ninth and drawing two walks.

Chisholm, 27, is batting .181 with seven home runs and a .714 OPS in 30 games; 10 of his 19 hits have been for extra bases. He has been a plus defender in his return to second base this season, his original position in the majors, after primarily playing center field for the Miami Marlins and third base for the Yankees last season.

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Boone said he expects Vivas to primarily play second base during Chisholm’s extended absence.

“That’s kind of the number, four to six weeks,” Boone said. “That being said, Jazz, his history is he is a quick healer, so we’ll see. But that’s kind of the easy diagnosis.”

DJ LeMahieu is another eventual potential option to play second base with Chisholm out. The former batting champion, who began the season on the injured list with a calf injury, resumed his rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Somerset after receiving a cortisone shot in his hip Tuesday.

He went 1 for 3 with a walk and played seven innings at second base.

LeMahieu, 36, has primarily played third base the past three seasons, but he could return to second base when he joins the Yankees with Chisholm on IL.

“Maybe it changes the position a little bit initially,” Boone said. “But the biggest thing right now is I want him just to get the consistent at-bats. Get built up.”

Vivas, 24, was called up to the Yankees in late April, but he was sent back to Triple-A three days later without appearing in a game. He batted .319 with two home runs, an .862 OPS and 15 walks to eight strikeouts splitting time between second base and third base in the minors this season. The Yankees acquired him, alongside left-hander Victor Gonzalez, from the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospect Trey Sweeney in December 2023.

“He’s playing really well down in Triple-A,” Boone said. “He can really play second and he can swing the bat. So, looking forward to him getting a little bit of an opportunity and hopefully taking advantage of that.”