Chisholm had played in 39 of the first 40 Marlins games before hurting the foot on Saturday.
On Tuesday, the Miami Marlins placed Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list with turf toe in his right foot, stemming from a play in Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. The injury is projected to keep him out for the next 4-6 weeks, per manager Skip Schumaker. The Marlins recalled Xavier Edwards from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding roster move.
Chisholm was pursuing a fly ball in deep left-center field when his right foot struck the base of the wall at an awkward angle. He had to exit the game early and sat out on Sunday before meeting with a foot specialist on Monday.
The 25-year-old has previously missed time during his big league career due to hamstring, shoulder and back injuries. He also played through a torn meniscus in 2022. Prior to Opening Day, Chisholm tweeted about expecting himself to play 155 games. As of Saturday, he was on pace to make good on that, but this IL stint officially puts it out of reach.
At the plate, Chisholm has underachieved in 2023, slashing .229/.291/.403 (91 wRC+) with seven home runs in 159 plate appearances, striking out at a career-worst 32.7% rate. He’s been practically an automatic out against left-handed pitching. However, he was seemingly turning a corner right before this setback, homering on both Friday and Saturday.
Moreover, he continues to be an electric baserunner, stealing bases more efficiently than ever (14-for-16). Defensive metrics have mixed evaluations about Chisholm’s transition from second base to center field—plus-3 outs above average vs. minus-5 defensive runs saved—though it is evident that he’s steadily improving.
In Jazz’s absence, the Marlins have no shortage of CF alternatives: Edwards, Garrett Hampson, Peyton Burdick, Bryan De La Cruz and even Jon Berti (in emergencies). The thing is, none of them can come close to matching the All-Star’s overall upside as a player. The Marlins enter Tuesday averaging 3.44 runs per game, the lowest mark in the majors. It’s difficult to imagine them significantly improving on that while Jazz and Jesús Sánchez (right hamstring strain) are simultaneously missing.
This is Edwards’ second MLB stint. Between May 2-7, the switch-hitter went 1-for-6 in three games played, during which time the Marlins only used him at second base. Like Chisholm, center field is a new position for him.