Forgotten infielder's hot streak gives Yankees opportunity to rest Anthony Volpe

The 2024 New York Yankees, who cannot stop fouling balls off themselves, fouled two more balls off themselves this past week.

First came Anthony Volpe, who doubled over in pain early in Thursday's rain-soaked disaster against the Angels. He played through most of the game with one functioning foot, then eventually departed. He was diagnosed with a bruise, but that hasn't stopped him from flying open, looking unbalanced, and riding an ongoing 0-fer-20+ slump as he attempts to grind through pain.

Then it was Jazz Chisholm's turn on Sunday afternoon. The Yankees' trade deadline talent infusion ripped a ball off his shin, gathering himself by the dugout before resuming the at-bat and ripping a single through the hole. As is Chisholm's wont, he was running immediately after suffering the injury, but it's impossible to determine whether he was doing so in excessive pain. His face wouldn't betray it. He's not that kind of guy. But after a sprint to first in his next at-bat, he was clearly shown on the broadcast still feeling the effects. He also, notably, proceeded to botch a slow grounder and smother a bunt in the top of the seventh following the injury, cutting in front of Volpe unnecessarily to mangle the potential third out of the inning.

The Yankees can't afford to lose both Chisholm and Volpe, and hopefully they won't, but they'll have to determine soon who is a bigger issue: Volpe's disappearing offense, or Chisholm's on-the-fly third base defense, which won't be positively impacted if his soreness lingers.

Luckily, the Yankees have a pretty solid insurance policy if they have to make a tough call: Oswald Peraza, buried on the depth chart a few weeks back, has lit up at an opportune time.

Yankees infield prospect Oswald Peraza is smoking baseballs again, while Anthony Volpe could use a reset

Peraza's season line, once left for dead, is now up to .240/.354/.403 with a .757 OPS. That work has been buoyed by four bombs and two doubles in August, which he's paired nicely with just two strikeouts and some slick defense.

Peraza was, for all intents and purposes, the favorite for the Yankees' starting shortstop job entering spring training 2023. Conventional wisdom was that he was a safer pick than Volpe, given his advanced defense and competent bat. Unfortunately, the bat disappeared. Fortunately, Volpe's defense has also been far more spectacular than advertised.

The Yankees aren't playing with an endless rope down the stretch, and are locked in an extremely tight battle for the AL East. Playing a hobbled Volpe (or Chisholm, if soreness persists) won't help anybody's cause, though. And while Peraza might not be a long-term fit, it would behoove them to take advantage of his heater.