In a defining moment for his inconsistent Yankees tenure, Jazz Chisholm Jr. found himself benched for the decisive Game 3 of the ALDS.
The silence in the dugout was heavy on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, but the biggest story wasn’t who was in the lineup for Game 3 of the ALDS—it was who wasn’t. As the Yankees faced a critical juncture in their season, Jazz Chisholm Jr. stood aside, replaced at second base by Anthony Volpe.
Manager Aaron Boone offered little in the way of a long-term explanation from his office before the first pitch. “Just felt like it,” Boone said. “I felt like I wanted to go with [Volpe] today.”
The decision followed a grueling Game 2, where Chisholm’s defensive struggles became impossible to ignore. In the first inning. he attempted a difficult double play against Junior Caminero that resulted in an off-balance. erratic throw that skipped past Luis García Jr. The error allowed a run to score and handed Caminero an extra base. When asked after that game if he would make the same play again, Chisholm insisted he would. Boone, however, dismissed the comment on Wednesday as the reflex of a confident athlete rather than a tactical stance. “I don’t think he should have thrown the ball,” the manager noted.
Beyond the defensive lapses, Chisholm entered Wednesday’s contest 0-for-6 with a single walk throughout the series. The move to sit him was not discussed with the player—a departure from his earlier absence against Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle in the wild-card opener. though Wednesday’s lineup shift against Rays right-hander Nick Martinez felt far more consequential.
This sequence of events highlights the frustrating trajectory of a player who arrived in New York with undeniable athleticism and power. yet struggled to find a consistent rhythm. Across 137 regular-season games, the 28-year-old posted a .231 average with a .711 OPS, 19 home runs, and 41 stolen bases. A late-August surge ended abruptly when he sprained his right thumb. providing the window for Volpe to transition from Triple-A and stake his own claim to the position.
For Boone, the pivot to Volpe was as much about finding a spark as it was about roster balance. “I think Anthony has played well since coming up at the end of the year. Both sides of the ball, he’s done a good job. So. yeah. felt like it made some sense to get him in there tonight. a few more righties at least in the lineup tonight. give a little more balance.”.
As a pending free agent, Chisholm’s future in pinstripes looks increasingly uncertain. He did not participate in pregame work on Wednesday. remaining a spectator while his teammates prepared for a game that would decide their postseason fate. Whatever happens next for the team. the reality of Chisholm’s stint in the Bronx is that the high-ceiling talent hasn’t translated into the reliable production the team expected. leaving his time with the Yankees potentially winding down from the bench.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Aaron Boone Anthony Volpe Yankees ALDS MLB baseball news