The New York Yankees were swept out of the ALDS on Wednesday night with a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was not in the starting lineup. Anthony Volpe started in his place.
Chisholm entered the game off the bench and went 0-for-2, including a groundout in the ninth inning. He finished the postseason hitless in eight at-bats. After the game, he faced the media and offered one of the more striking moments of the night.
Chisholm Gives Telling Response
A reporter asked Chisholm why the Yankees were unable to beat the Rays. His response was two words.
“No comment,” Chisholm said.
When the next question came, asking about his reaction when he found out he was on the bench, he cut it off.
“No comment, next,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm Was Not Told He Was Being Benched
The decision to sit Chisholm for Game 3 added another layer. When asked whether Aaron Boone spoke to him about the lineup change beforehand, Chisholm indicated he was not given a heads-up.
“I always prefer a conversation,” Chisholm said. “So I would have liked to know what I’m walking into.”
The comment carried a quiet edge. Chisholm has been vocal about wanting to compete, and learning he was out of the lineup for an elimination game without a direct conversation clearly did not sit well.
Final Word for the Yankees
Chisholm is headed for free agency. His three years in pinstripes produced an All-Star selection, a Silver Slugger, and three consecutive ALDS exits. Whether Wednesday was his last game as a Yankee remains to be seen.
The “no comment” will linger. Sometimes the most honest answer is the one a player refuses to give.
Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. Gives Blunt Response to Game 3 Benching