The New York Yankees left Fenway Park on Sunday having been swept by the Boston Red Sox, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. played a role in the frustrating finish.
Chisholm was ejected during the sixth inning after arguing a checked-swing strikeout, cutting short another difficult afternoon at the plate. Following the Yankees’ 5-4 loss in 10 innings, former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo questioned the decision and suggested the star infielder needs to be smarter in those situations.
“You just have to be smarter there,” Rizzo said, via Foul Territory. “Jazz is such a big part of this offense and they need to get him going. To get ejected there … it just shows a little bit of immaturity there. The team’s scuffling, they need him in the lineup, and now he puts Volpe in a tough position coming in completely cold.”
Anthony Rizzo Questions Jazz Chisholm Jr’s Ejection
The timing of Chisholm’s ejection couldn’t have been much worse.
The Yankees entered Sunday trying to avoid a four-game sweep against their longtime rivals, but instead dropped a 5-4 decision in 10 innings. Chisholm’s day ended in the sixth inning after he struck out on a checked-swing call and continued arguing with home plate umpire Adam Hamari.
Before being tossed, Chisholm went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. It was another difficult performance during what has been a rough month for the two-time All-Star.
Rizzo’s criticism appeared to go beyond the strikeout itself.
Anthony Volpe had a scheduled day off before Chisholm’s ejection forced him into action. Instead of getting a full day to rest, Volpe suddenly found himself entering one of baseball’s biggest rivalries in the middle of a tight game.
That’s what seemed to bother Rizzo most.
The former Yankees first baseman acknowledged how important Chisholm is to New York’s lineup and questioned whether the emotional outburst was worth putting the team in a difficult position.
The Yankees have needed more production from Chisholm during their recent skid. Entering Sunday, he was batting .187 during the month of June, though he had managed to hit six home runs and drive in 13 runs during that span.
Another Jazz Chisholm Jr. Controversy
The ejection also comes less than a week after Chisholm found himself at the center of another Yankees storyline.
During a game against the Detroit Tigers, television cameras caught Chisholm taking the field with a lollipop in his mouth. The moment quickly went viral and eventually prompted a blunt response from Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
“That pisses me off,” Boone said.
Boone later explained that he addressed the situation directly with Chisholm.
“I talked to him about it, and it should be over with,” Boone said, via MLB.com. “I mean, let’s face it. I was annoyed by it. I addressed it. And at the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Boone also made it clear he did not want that becoming part of Chisholm’s routine moving forward.
“It just bothered me, and it was addressed,” Boone said. “I don’t think that should be a part of what we’re doing.”
Neither incident by itself is likely to create a major issue inside the clubhouse.
However, Chisholm’s ejection against the Red Sox, combined with the recent lollipop controversy, has put the spotlight back on one of the Yankees’ most talented and outspoken players.
And judging by Rizzo’s comments, some believe the Yankees need more than production from Chisholm right now. They need him to avoid becoming a distraction while the team attempts to climb out of its recent struggles.
Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Called Out for ‘Immaturity’ by New York Legend