Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. Explains Fear After Dodging Broken Bat
Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a real scare Monday night. In the fourth inning of the New York Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, the second baseman narrowly avoided injury when the barrel of Brayan Rocchio's broken bat flew right at him. Instead of a potentially inning-ending groundout, Chisholm’s quick reaction helped spark an RBI single that kept the inning alive.
After the game, Chisholm shared why he is nervous in those situations.
“I want to make every play out there for my [pitcher], but at the same time, I don't want to die. You've got a sharp object coming your way,” Chisholm said.
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm, Jr.
Dave Nelson-Imagn Images
The veteran infielder recalled being nailed by a broken bat as a minor leaguer in high Class-A. “It happened to me while playing with the Miami Marlins—I got struck in the calf,” he said.
It’s one of the thing that scares infielders, the Yankees manager said.
Aaron Boone, who was an All-Star third baseman during a 12-year MLB career, explained how jolting it can be to see a bat shard flying toward you.
“Seeing that bat come at you, it startles you,” Boone told reporters.
Chisholm later made up for his hesitation.
Amid a 2-for-25 slide, he launched a two-run homer off reliever Paul Sewald in the eighth inning. “Very validating,” Chisholm said of that swing, his seventh homer of the year, tying Aaron Judge for the club lead.
Despite the late rally, the Yankees couldn't overcome the early deficit. They'll look to bounce back in the second game of the series on Tuesday.
