CHICAGO — On a night that was already going poorly for the Yankees, Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave them something else to worry about.
Two innings after diving head first into home plate to score a run, Chisholm exited Monday’s 12-2 loss to the White Sox with a left elbow injury.
He was examined by the White Sox team physician during the game at Guaranteed Rate Field and got X-rays that came back negative, but will undergo an MRI exam and further evaluation on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
“I’m not super concerned about it,” Chisholm said. “All the tests we’ve done in here have been pretty positive. I still feel it a little bit, still kind of sore, but I think we’re going to be good.”
The play on which Chisholm hurt his elbow came in the fifth inning, when White Sox catcher Korey Lee applied a late tag at the plate that Chisholm’s elbow took the brunt of.
Once the adrenaline wore off, Chisholm went to manager Aaron Boone and the training staff to tell them his elbow was “throbbing a little bit,” at which point he was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh.
“Hopefully we get good news on it [Tuesday],” Boone said. “Hopefully it’s not too serious.”
Before it became clear Chisholm was injured on the play, it had been the highlight of an otherwise dreary night for the Yankees.
Chisholm singled and stole second with two outs before taking off for third on a pitch to Anthony Volpe, who hit a grounder to the hole at shortstop.
Chisholm never stopped running around third base and dove into home just ahead of the tag to pull the Yankees within 4-2.
A thin Yankees bullpen was tasked with some heavy lifting Monday after Luis Gil lasted just four innings.
Tim Hill gave up one run over 2 1/3 innings before the White Sox roughed up Enyel De Los Santos for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings (which he needed 48 pitches to get through).
It was the latest tough night for a bullpen that has begun to show more cracks of late.
“I have a lot of confidence in a lot of guys down there,” Boone said. “We’ve had a couple guys that have struggled here the last couple that we got to help get right. But I feel like we have the makings of a good one down there.”
Gil’s abbreviated outing may force the Yankees to consider sending him to the minors for the minimum 15 days.
Their bullpen, which only has one reliever (Jake Cousins) with minor league options remaining, is in need of a fresh arm and the Yankees either need a spot starter or a bullpen game for Wednesday’s series finale.
They have two off days in the next week, meaning Gil’s next start would not be until next Tuesday, and they could rearrange the rotation so as not to require a fifth starter until Aug. 24.
Gil would not be eligible to be called back up by then (barring an injury), but would be by his next turn through the rotation.
Boone spent time pregame catching up with Grady Sizemore, his former teammate in Cleveland who took over as the White Sox’s interim manager last week.
“I hope people realize how good of a player Grady Sizemore was,” Boone said, calling him a “star” from the time he arrived in the big leagues. “He was a great teammate — I loved him. Played the game hard, was just really skilled, great athlete, but a really good teammate. I know he got back into the game a couple years ago, so I was excited when he did that. Excited he’s getting this opportunity. Love the person.”