Jazz Chisholm Jr. on possible return to Bronx: 'I love it as a Yankee.'
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the bench in the 2nd inning of ALDS Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 7, 2026. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Only time will tell if the Yankees’ season-ending 4-3 loss to the Rays in Game 3 of their American League Division Series on Wednesday night will be the last one Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays in pinstripes. If that proves to be so, things didn’t end well — and we aren’t talking about the final score.
Manager Aaron Boone decided to replace Chisholm with Anthony Volpe at second base in Game 3. Though Boone said he strongly considered the move after Monday’s Game 2 loss, it didn’t become a solid determination until Tuesday.
Chisholm said he expected to start when he got to the Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Asked how he found out that he was out, he replied, “I saw the lineup card.”
And he did not sound happy about getting blindsided.
“I always prefer a conversation,” he said. “I would like to know what I’m walking into.”
Chisholm didn’t have a hit in the first two games, was charged with an run-scoring throwing error in Game 2 and also made a bad throw for a forceout at second that George Lombard Jr. managed to corral (avoiding the Yankees’ fourth error in the Rays’ first five at-bats).
This is the final year of Chisholm’s contract. With Volpe now playing second base, the Yankees don’t necessarily need to issue him a $23 million qualifying offer, but Chisholm said he wants to return next season.
“I love it as a Yankee,” he said. “I grew up as a Yankee fan, being from the Bahamas, watching [Derek] Jeter and those guys every day. It was a great time being a Yankee. I love my time as a Yankee. I had great years with the Yankees, had an All-Star year, had a Silver Slugger year. Who doesn’t want to stay with a team that you’ve had such great times with and great years with? To see it maybe end here sucks, but you know, it’s part of the business.”
Chisholm entered Game 3 as a pinch hitter in the seventh and went 0-for-2, grounding into a forceout for the second out in the ninth. He stole second, but Trent Grisham struck out to end the Yankees’ season.
Chisholm heard plenty of boos on Wednesday night.
“It’s just confusing because it’s the playoffs and we’re trying to win games,” he said. “So you’re booing a guy that’s playing currently, trying to help the team win? And you’re hearing boos instead of trying to hype guys up? [But] it didn’t hurt me because I’ve seen Aaron Judge get booed here, too. Who am I? That’s a three-time MVP.’’
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
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