Jazz Chisholm Jr. was out of the Yankees' lineup Friday against the Chicago Cubs after experiencing right hamstring cramps that led to his early exit from Thursday's game. Manager Aaron Boone stated that while Chisholm was cautious, he is considered an active player and the issue appears to be solely cramps.
Chisholm began to feel the cramps in the bottom of the eighth inning on Thursday against the White Sox. He later pulled up while running to first base on a groundout in the ninth inning and was replaced by pinch runner José Caballero in the 11th after being intentionally walked. Caballero started at second base in Chisholm's place on Friday.
Boone indicated that Chisholm would go through his usual pregame routine and was available to enter the game if needed. "He is OK," Boone said before the series opener, "I think just felt like wanting to be a little cautious dealing with it, but it does seem like it was just cramps. He gave me the thumbs up today. With a lefty going, the turnaround for a day game, I just didn’t want to risk anything. But I view him as a fully active player today."
The Yankees, who are already managing injuries to key players like Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton, are seeking to avoid further additions to their injured list, even with Chisholm enduring an inconsistent season.