The New York Yankees just lost their second baseman to one of the strangest injuries of the season. Jazz Chisholm is in concussion protocol after teammate Jasson Dominguez accidentally clotheslined him on a routine fly ball.
The play happened in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game against Cleveland. A short fly to shallow center sent both Dominguez and Chisholm sprinting at full speed. Chisholm called for the ball. Dominguez did not hear him. The two collided just shy of the warning track. Dominguez’s outstretched arm caught Chisholm flush across the throat and chest.
Chisholm went down hard. He stayed on the ground for several minutes while the Yankees training staff checked him for a neck injury. He eventually walked off under his own power, but he did not return to the game.
The official diagnosis Monday morning was a concussion. Chisholm will spend at least the next week in concussion protocol with no timeline for return.
This is brutal timing for the Yankees. New York is in a tight race in the AL East and was counting on Chisholm to anchor the middle infield while DJ LeMahieu rehabs and the Aaron Judge-led offense tries to keep pace with Boston and Toronto.
Chisholm had been one of the team’s most consistent producers in June, hitting .278 with seven home runs and 18 RBI. His defensive transition from third base back to second has gone well. He has become a clubhouse leader, somewhat to the surprise of those who watched his Miami years from afar.
The injury also raises questions about whether Aaron Boone needs to be more aggressive about positional communication. Yankees fans have been quick to point out that Dominguez has had two outfield miscommunications this season alone. He is a fantastic prospect and a developing major leaguer, but center field reps at the big league level are still relatively new for him.
Boone deflected the criticism after the game. He chalked the collision up to bad luck and called Dominguez “a hard-charging young player who just needs more reps.” That is not really an answer. It is a hope.
The Yankees’ immediate replacement at second base is veteran utility man Oswaldo Cabrera. Cabrera is a fine defensive player and a passable hitter, but he is not Chisholm. The offensive drop-off in the lineup is significant.
If Chisholm misses more than the standard 7-day concussion timeline, the Yankees will need to seriously consider calling up a prospect or pursuing a trade for a middle infield upgrade ahead of the August 3 deadline. Names like Brandon Lowe of the Rays and Jonathan India of the Royals are being floated as potential targets.
For Chisholm, the concern is bigger than this season. He has a history of dealing with back issues and minor concussions in his career. The collision Sunday night was violent. Concussion recoveries are not linear. He could be back in a week. He could be out a month.
For Dominguez, the responsibility now is on him to play smarter. He is going to be the Yankees’ starting center fielder for the next decade if everything breaks right. Knowing where his teammates are on routine fly balls is a basic competency that Aaron Boone needs to drill home.
The Yankees can survive a week without Chisholm. They cannot survive a month.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
