TORONTO — The Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. last July to be their second baseman.
Except in 84 of the 115 games Chisholm has played since then, postseason included, Chisholm has started at third base.
That may come to a head by the July 31 trade deadline, if the Yankees can acquire a third baseman, but until then, it does not sound as if anything is necessarily imminent in terms of Chisholm moving back to second base and DJ LeMahieu shifting to third.
“We’ll let it play out and have those conversations as we feel like we need to,” manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday at Rogers Centre before the Yankees’ 11-9 loss to the Blue Jays.
Boone had appeared to leave the door open for a potential switch after Tuesday’s loss — saying the Yankees would “talk through that stuff” — but backed off it a bit by Wednesday.
“We’re always having conversations. I was just answering a question,” Boone said.
But it was a question that was asked again because Tuesday was another game in which the current alignment led to some issues.
The most notable was Chisholm, who also made a throwing error in Wednesday’s loss, misplaying a slow roller to third base in the fourth inning.
It could have been the third out, with the Yankees leading 2-1, but instead went for an infield single that extended the frame for Andrés Giménez’s three-run homer that put the Blue Jays up 4-2.
There was also a low liner in the eighth inning that got past LeMahieu at second base, and while it was far from a routine play, it was a reminder of the veteran’s lack of range at the position.
And in Wednesday’s game Chisholm had a throwing error, his seventh of the season.
After he played third base last season with Gleyber Torres not wanting to move off of second, the Yankees had Chisholm start this season at second base to form a dynamic and athletic double play combination with Anthony Volpe.
But while Chisholm was on the injured list for an oblique strain, LeMahieu returned from the IL himself and has played only second base since then, with Chisholm moving to third upon his return.
LeMahieu, who went 2-for-2 with an RBI single in Wednesday’s loss, is more comfortable at second base, his natural position, and there was some thought that keeping him there at least initially would allow for the easiest transition back to playing regularly and trying to stay healthy while the Yankees got a look at what he had left in the tank offensively.
In that regard, the soon-to-be 37-year-old (who is still under contract through next season) enters Thursday batting .254 with a .664 OPS.
He has generally made quality contact — a 92.4 mph average exit velocity entering Wednesday, higher than his career mark of 90.5 — but has not had much to show for it.
Chisholm, who went 1-for-4 with a walk, has said he will play wherever the Yankees need him to, though his best position is second base, and his inexperience at third base has shown up at different times.
But having Chisholm play third also gives the Yankees more flexibility at the trade deadline.
They are expected to be in the market for an infield bat, but Chisholm’s ability to play either position — he accrued eight Outs Above Average at third base last season — does not pigeonhole them into only being able to acquire a third baseman.
“Look, I think both guys are really talented defenders, wherever they line up,” Boone said. “We’ll continue to look at things like that.”