Jazz Chisholm Jr. doesn’t know exactly when MLB intends to review the case of his one-game suspension, but it appears that the Yankees’ second baseman has some more time to break out of a prolonged slump before the appeal hearing occurs.
Perhaps he showed the first sign of a much-needed turnaround on Monday at Progressive Field. While the Yankees’ efforts of a comeback against the Guardians fell short in a series-opening 6-4 loss, Chisholm demolished a fastball for a two-run homer in the eighth inning that cut their deficit to two.
The clutch hit couldn’t have come at a better time for Chisholm, who’d been mired in a troubling 2-for-23 skid. It was his seventh homer of the season and first since April 14, and while a breakout at the plate isn’t guaranteed, the moment undoubtedly boosted his confidence.
“It’s just been unlucky,” Chisholm told YES Network after the game. “[The homer] was very validating, finally getting out there and still hitting the ball hard. But finally getting it to fall somewhere, even though it’s not in the park. Trying to get the base hits as well, not only home runs. It was very relieving, but at the same time, still got to keep on working and grind through it.”
While Chisholm’s power has been a welcome sight — his seven homers rank tied for fifth-most in the majors — the Yankees must be slightly concerned about his strikeout rate thus far. He’s gone down on strikes in 31 of his 98 total plate appearances (32 percent), and the excessive whiffs have lowered his slash line to an uninspiring .161/.255/.425.
Yankees pull within two after a Jazz Chisholm HR! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zSL3n8MXzg
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) April 22, 2025
Schmidt happens
In his first road start of the season, Clarke Schmidt couldn’t find much command. While he recovered from some control issues in the first two innings, trouble arrived in the third when he allowed back-to-back homers to Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo for four runs.
Schmidt struggled to find a rhythm in his fourth inning of work, as he gave up an additonal run on two doubles, a single, and a walk. While he managed to strike out seven overall, he gave up seven hits and three walks and didn’t return for a fifth frame. His ERA now sits at 7.45 through two starts (9.2 innings) this season.
“Obviously it’s game situations and we’re out there trying to win ballgames, but I’m also trying to refine myself and sharpen up and just get better each time I go out there,” said Schmidt, who logged 80 pitches. “I felt healthy. I thought the stuff was really good, velocity was good. Got a lot of swing-and-miss, a lot of strikeouts. That’s obviously a positive, but the walks are frustrating.”
Dominguez shows some pop
New York struggled to generate offense against Guardians starter Gavin Williams, who completed six innings without allowing a run. But signs of life arrived in the seventh, when Jasson Dominguez took the tall right-hander deep for a two-run blast to center, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Williams exited shortly thereafter.
The mammoth homer from Dominguez traveled a career-best 445 feet, and reaffirmed the power he posseses from the left side of the plate. While the 22-year-old’s pop hasn’t been consistent — he has seven extra-base hits through 69 at-bats — it clearly hasn’t disappeared, either.
“He had some tough at-bats against Williams there his first couple times,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Dominguez. “He chewed him up pretty good and then he hammered it. That’s a really good swing on a breaking ball that turns into a no-doubter to right-center and gave us a little bit of life.”
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