The Yankees can finally catch a break! Jazz Chisholm Jr. is on the mend and sounding more optimistic than ever. What started as a major scare with his sprained left elbow, where surgery was even on the table, has taken a huge turn for the better in the past 48 hours, and now the Yankees third baseman is confident he’ll be back on the field in no time, with just a short stint on the injury list.

Well, how confident is Jazz Chisholm Jr.? According to him, he’s pretty sure; “it’s 100% realistic in my mind that I’ll be back by then,” he said before the Yankees kicked off their series against the Tigers. The timing of his injury was a real blow as Jazz was on fire and helping the team win before Chisholm went down during Monday’s game against the White Sox. There, he got injured while sliding into home plate to score from second base during a 12-2 loss, which was a tough pill to swallow for the team. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. determined to come back

Monday’s injury and Jazz’s exit from the season would have been challenging for the Yankees, who have seen an upward push in the performance of their team after the pre-Deadline trade with the Marlins. The new trade soon became the first  Yankee to hit seven home runs in his first 12 games with the club. and just in 14 games, had a slashing .316/.361/.702 with 11 RBIs, and side by side was successful in giving an edge to the Bombers. 

Jazz’s determination is crystal clear—when the MRI revealed it was just a sprain and not a tear, he was immediately eager to get back to the game.  “My understanding is that we’re going to go on about how I feel and how my body feels, and right now, my body’s reacting really well to all the treatment we’re doing,” Jazz said. “I’m fortunate that it’s not a major injury and that it’s as minor as it is right now.”  If it were up to Jazz Chisholm Jr., he’d be swinging the bat again the very next day. But would that have been a good strategy?

Although their Manager, Aaron Boone, confirmed the injury isn’t to Jazz’s throwing arm, it’s actually on his top hand on the swing, which is less of a concern. Still, the small injury can get converted into a serious one if not taken care of, and with the same feeling, the Yankees teammates had some advice for their counterparts. 

How did the Yankees respond to the Chisholm’s injury?

Chisholm admitted that the first day of his injury was really tough and overwhelming, but he found a silver lining in the support from teammates like Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. “Aaron Judge and Juan Soto and the guys came over to me and said, ‘Hey, we’d rather you take ten days to get right instead of rushing back. Make sure you’re fully healed so you can help us get to October and win in October.’” Who is better than  Judge to offer such advice, a star who himself knows all too well what it’s like to battle through injuries?

Moreover, Chisholm isn’t new to battling injuries himself—he missed quite a few games in 2023 due to an oblique injury and turf toe—he’s clearly determined not to let this setback be another long-term issue. Even with one of their key players sidelined, the Yankees always seem to make the best out of any situation. It’s a good sign that with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out, replacement Oswald Peraza stepped up big time with a clutch home run to seal a win for the Yankees. It looks like, while they wait for Jazz’s return, they might have already found a solid stand-in for the time being.