Jazz Chisholm Jr. returning will be good news for nearly everyone who cares about the New York Yankees. But someone also draws the short end of the stick.
Chisholm, New York's electrifying second baseman, has been out since Apr. 29 with a high-grade oblique strain. But manager Aaron Boone said earlier this week that he's on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment, which could signify a return by the end of next week.
While the Yankees will welcome back Chisholm with open arms, someone will also have to be removed from the active roster to make space for his return. One Yankees writer believes that a 24-year-old prospect will inevitably draw the short end of the stick.
On Tuesday, Jacob Mountz of FanSided predicted that Jorbit Vivas, who was originally called up to replace Chisholm when he hit the injured list, would appropriately be the one sent back to Triple-A when the former All-Star makes his return.
"Unfortunately, in his first glimpse of major league action, Vivas has yet to live up to (his) billing. In 19 games with the Yankees, Vivas is 6-for-39 with one home run. His 11 strikeouts far outpace his four walks," Mountz wrote.
"Of the Yankees’ four options (Vivas, Oswald Peraza, Pablo Reyes, DJ LeMahieu), sending Vivas down when Chisholm returns makes the most sense."
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Peraza and Reyes are both out of options, so Vivas is the only name on Mountz's list who the Yankees can remove from the active roster without risking losing him from the organization altogether.
Vivas' one home run did directly lead to a Yankees win, as it was a solo shot in a 1-0 victory last Thursday over the Texas Rangers.
Even amid the infield logjam, Vivas still looks to have a promising career ahead of him in Yankees pinstripes. However, that doesn't mean he's likely to stick around with the more experienced Chisholm coming to take his at-bats.
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