Chisholm jazzes things up with blue 'do

MIAMI -- What's cooler than being cool?

Fresh off being named to his first Opening Day roster, Marlins rookie Jazz Chisholm Jr. debuted blue hair during Thursday's pregame Zoom call. He batted sixth and started at second base for the opener, going 0-for-3 but hitting the ball hard a couple of times in a 1-0 loss to the reigning American League champion Rays at loanDepot park.

Chisholm, who won Miami's second-base job this spring while rocking blonde hair, kept a promise made to a teammate at the beginning of camp. Opening Day starter Sandy Alcantara told MLB Pipeline's No. 66 overall prospect that if he joined the ballclub in Miami to begin the season, he had to dye his hair blue.

"So I was like, 'I got you bro, you know me, I got it, I got the flow for you. No problem with that,'" Chisholm said.

"When I came here, I saw the blue hair and all that stuff, and I felt really happy he did that for me," Alcantara said during a Zoom call. "He looked great, too."

Chisholm matched the blue hair with a LaMelo Ball Charlotte Hornets jersey. The 23-year-old Bahamian native said Ball is his favorite basketball player, a guy whom he has watched since the hoopster was a freshman in high school. Both wear No. 2, with Chisholm rocking his for Hall of Famer and Marlins CEO Derek Jeter.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly hadn't seen Chisholm's new look in person yet, but he had no problem with the outgoing personality expressing himself. Chisholm debuted in 2020, appearing in 21 regular-season contests before starting Game 3 of the National League Division Series, where he doubled and walked. In Grapefruit League play, he homered three times, stole four bases and posted an .821 OPS.

"I don't worry about that kind of stuff," Mattingly said during a Zoom call. "Honestly, I like guys with personality and have confidence and swagger. As long as they prepare properly and get out to the game the right way, I'm good with all the kind of external stuff."