Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a moment of distraction at second base during Saturday’s victory, yet he bounced back on Sunday, converting a simple ground ball into a single in the top of the ninth inning.
Otto Lopez made a significant play and scored, while David Bednar and the Yankees clinched the win.
After Saturday’s game, Boone mentioned he had a brief chat with Chisholm.
“He wasn’t focused enough on the ball,” Boone observed. “Overall, he was okay with it. We just need to ensure he’s more aware when getting to the end line. That’s the crucial play we have to make.”
Despite facing some challenges at the plate, Chisholm broke through with a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth during Sunday’s close loss to Miami, 7-6.
He admitted to his slip-up on Saturday and warned that such incidents might happen again.
“Everyone knows how my style is,” Chisholm said. “I made a good play, and well, sometimes it happens against me. It’s not a big deal.”
Before his double, he had been in a slump, accruing just four hits in 31 at-bats.
Chisholm isn’t alone in his struggles; Jose Caballero also committed another error at shortstop and hasn’t stood out offensively either.
“He’s been swinging at some questionable pitches,” Boone noted, also touching on recent pitching concerns. “But we trust him to work through it.”
Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon reported some discomfort after a side session on Saturday. Boone mentioned that this level of discomfort was expected during his recovery from elbow surgery.
Rodon had a slight delay in his return due to a strained hamstring last week, but that didn’t hinder him from pitching.
Boone indicated that another side session is planned for “early in the week.”
Gerrit Cole is set to participate in a simulated game on Monday, having returned from Tommy John surgery last spring.
The Yankees faced challenges on Sunday, missing two automatic ball-strike system calls, yet they managed not to falter during their ninth-inning rally. Coach Boone emphasized the importance of maintaining their aggressiveness, even if it has cost them recently.
“We’ll rely on our knowledge regarding that. There will definitely be games where we won’t have those calls,” Boone stated, highlighting that the Yankees achieved 30 walks during the series against the Marlins, marking a franchise record for a three-game stretch.
After a strong start to the season, Camilo Doval has struggled in his last two outings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, and one walk while retiring only three batters.
Boone pointed out that Doval faced “very tough left-handed hitters,” but he struggled to finish off the batters.
Doval allowed a left-handed hitter on base in five out of ten at-bats, which impacts his expected role as a setup for David Bednar.
As for Bednar, Boone expressed some concern about overusing him in recent games where he threw 40 and 33 pitches, respectively. Nevertheless, Bednar secured saves in both appearances.
“We want to avoid having him throw that many pitches in each outing,” Boone added.
