Who's Getting Kicked Off The Dance Floor Once Jazz Returns?

I have a guess.

So, the million-dollar question floating around the Bronx right now: When is Jazz Chisholm coming back? And when he does, who gets bumped off the dance floor?

Well, folks, here comes the twist in the infield shuffle. Jazz is scheduled to start a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset today against Akron, playing—you guessed it—third base. Yep, the same position he had literally never played as a pro until the Yankees decided to toss the Marlins’ flashy center fielder into the hot corner blender last summer and see what came out.

Now, Oswald Peraza? The guy’s been holding down third like a human vacuum cleaner. He’s making web gems look routine. But here’s the rub: If you can’t hit, Boone doesn’t see you, except if you’re Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells. And right now, Peraza’s bat is swinging a ghost—he’s hitting .165 with three homers in 34 games. That’s not exactly a resume-builder when the front office is itching to slot in the guy, they actually paid real money for.

Here’s where the Yankees logic train starts to sound like it’s running on square wheels:

• Oswald Peraza: Elite defense, struggling bat.

• Jazz Chisholm: Electric athlete, injured since April 30 with an oblique strain, learning third again.

• DJ LeMahieu: Former batting champ, now 36 and trying to remember what offense feels like (batting .206 through 11 games) but still has a gold glove reputation and a contract that screams “please don’t bench me.”

So, naturally, what’s the plan? Play Jazz at third—despite the fact that it’s not his natural position—because DJ looks better at second. Makes sense, right? No? Just nod.

And poor Peraza? The writing’s on the Yankee Stadium wall in pinstriped Sharpie. Boone isn’t playing him enough to let him develop, and the Yankees have approximately 413 infielders vying for about three spots. Someone’s got to go. 

Bottom line: If Jazz’s oblique holds up and he starts moonwalking around third base like he belongs there, Boone’s got his built-in excuse to phase out Peraza. Best defender or not, the Yankees are running a depth chart, not a meritocracy.

So, stay tuned. Jazz might be ready by next week. And once he moonwalks in, someone else is gonna get moonwalked right out and I see the writing on the wall.