Eric Chavez suffered whiplash diving for a ball defensively last night, leaving the game with a possible concussion, and the Yankees have now placed him on the seven-day disabled list designed specifically for concussions.
Chavez initially remained in the game and came to the plate in the next half-inning, but had to leave in the middle of the at-bat when he had trouble balancing. Trainers helped him off the field and assisted him down the dugout steps, so there’s definitely cause for concern.
To replace Chavez on the roster the Yankees called up journeyman Jayson Nix from Triple-A and are giving him the start in left field tonight. Nix has previously played for the White Sox, Rockies, Indians, and Blue Jays, hitting just .207 with a .648 OPS in 264 career games.
He has 15-homer power, but swings at everything and hasn’t even played well at Triple-A recently. He does, however, have some corner outfield experience, which is more than could be said for Eduardo Nunez before the Yankees gave the career-long infielder back-to-back starts in left field this week.
