The New York Yankees recently placed Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the injured list due to a right oblique strain. Luckily, he won’t be out of action for too long. In the meantime, they’ll need a new second baseman to fill in for the sidelined 27-year-old. Jorbit Vivas is their guy.
In Friday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays, Jorbit Vivas will be in the starting lineup for the first time in his career. He'll cover second base and bat ninth.
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Could Jobit Vivas provide a spark for the Yankees?
Vivas has torn it up in AAA this season, as he’s posted a .319 batting average with a .862 OPS. The 24-year-old only struck out eight times in 116 plate appearances this season.
He doesn’t have the power Chisholm Jr. provides, but the Yankees could use a contact hitter. Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt are red hot right now and offer enough power already. If Vivas can mirror his minor-league success for New York, it would be a perfect complement to those three.
If the young second baseman can provide the Yankees with a spark, it would add an interesting dilemma when Chisholm Jr. returns. Of course, it would be a great problem to have. Vivas having success could put needed pressure on Jazz to perform. They could also opt to send down a struggling Oswald Peraza and keep Vivas up when Chisholm Jr. is healthy. The ball is in Vivas’ court right now, and he could force Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone to keep him in the Bronx with a strong performance.
Chisholm has struggled to consistently produce at a high level to start 2025 but has shown flashes of being the star fans know he can be. He’s posted a lackluster .181 batting average, as he’s recorded just 19 hits in his first 30 games. Nevertheless, he’s recorded great power numbers, sporting a .410 slugging percentage with seven home runs and 17 runs batted in.
When Jazz returns, the Yankees are hoping he regroups and becomes the player they traded for in the second half of 2024. Perhaps Vivas will be right there with him.