The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS a precaution, Bahamian professional baseball player Jasrado ‘Jazz’ Chisholm was placed on the Miami Marlins’ COVID-19 injured list with flu-like symptoms on Monday, the Marlins’ announced on their website.

The 23-year-old second baseman didn’t travel with the team to San Diego after he was scratched from Sunday’s lineup in Colorado for their three-game series at Petco Park. He remained in Denver following the Rockies series.

The length of his absence depends on whether he tests positive for the virus and when his symptoms subside. Isan Diaz started at the keystone Monday and is in line to serve as the primary second baseman in Chisholm’s absence.

“He just wasn’t feeling well,” Marlins acting manager James Rowson said pregame Monday. “Sometimes, we’re just going to err on the side of caution.

“Our training staff and our medical staff, they’re the ones who really head that up. They looked at it and obviously identified that the best thing for him was to stay back and make sure he was good and when they think he’s ready to go, we’ll send Jazz off and get him moving again.”

Chisholm had previously gone on the COVID-19 injured list last week after he experienced symptoms. He was activated one-day later and had started four consecutive games before sitting out Sunday.

As a flamboyant infielder starting in shortstop but moved over to second base, Chisholm got the call up to the Major League during the coronavirus pandemic last year after Miami’s roster was adversely affected.

Up to being sidelined on Monday, he was hitting .252 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 41 runs scored over 78 games while also being an energetic personality on the field.

“You miss him in a lot of ways,” Rowson said. “He’s an energetic player, so he brings it on the field, off the field, in the dugout, everywhere.

“You definitely miss that type of player who brings that type of energy, but we just want him to get better, get over this thing, get healthy and get going again.”

Prior to his latest appearance on the DL, Chisholm suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the line-up for one game last month. He returned on July 31 and went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and a run scored in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees.

Chisholm, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in July, 2015 before he went on to make his pro debut a year later with the Missoula Osprey, also suffered a hamstring injury on April 28. He returned on May 16 following a brief rehab sting in AAA with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

On his way to the Majors, Chisholm was traded from the Diamondbacks on July 31, 2019 to Miami. He was then promoted to the Marlins’ major league roster for the first time on September 1, 2020.

As the seventh Bahamian to play in the Majors, Chisholm filled the void left by Antoan Richardson after he retired in 2017.

Richardson returned to the Majors in January, 2020 to take up a first base coaching job with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants initially selected Richardson in the 35th round of the 2005 draft out of Vanderbilt University.

The two followed in the footsteps of deceased Bahamian pioneer players Andre Rodgers (1957-67), Tony Curry (1960-66), Ed Armbrister (1973-77), Wenty Ford (1973) and Wilfred Culmer (1983).