When the New York Yankees host the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series tonight, Jazz Chisholm Jr. will begin on the bench.
Anthony Volpe got the nod at second base over Chisholm, a two-time MLB All-Star who won a Silver Slugger Award in 2025. The infielder bats left-handed and the Yankees will face Boston pitcher Payton Tolle, who is left-handed as well.
His performance is significantly better against right-handed pitchers than against southpaws. His OPS against righties this year (.738) is notably better than against lefties (.650) in 2026. The same is true for righties (.798) and lefties (.662) his entire MLB career.
Chisholm told reporters he expected to have a spot in the starting lineup against Tolle and as a "competitor"
did not want to miss a postseason game. But he is also coming off an injury, missing a dozen days down the stretch due to a thumb injury.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated that fans can potentially look forward to a "platoon" between Chisholm and Volpe at second base during the series against Boston.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why isn't Jazz Chisholm playing for Yankees vs. Red Sox tonight?
