Remember Saturday’s win over the Orioles? For the most part, it was smooth sailing, but there was one tense moment when Jazz Chisholm Jr. took a pitch off his forearm. And at the time, the Yankees couldn’t have imagined worse news, because losing their most electric slugger right before the Wild Card series might prove catastrophic. Well, the fear became reality when the lineup dropped for Game 1 against the Red Sox.

We saw no Chisholm, and Amed Rosario got the start instead. But before you jump to the worst conclusion about Chisholm, here’s a little relief. Manager Aaron Boone gave an update that should ease some of the worry.

“

Jazz is doing well… I mean, obviously, as tough as Crochet is, he’s been especially tough on lefties. So there’s no great matchup. Amed does have some good history with him. Has hit him well and faced him a lot this year. I felt like I wanted that extra right-handed bat in there. But no, Jazz is good to go and be ready to go,” Boone shared the latest update about Chisholm during the Wild Card press conference before Game 1.

So, if you look at the numbers, it makes a lot more sense why Aaron Boone sat Jazz Chisholm Jr. in Game 1. Reportedly, since 2024, Chisholm has had four at-bats against Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet, and the results haven’t been pretty. It includes zero hits, zero runs, zero homers, a .200 OBP, and three strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Amed Rosario brings a little more upside in this matchup. Notably, against right-handers this season, he hit .231 with 2 HRs and 8 RBIs in 69 plate appearances. Hence, by going with Rosario, Boone keeps Chisholm fresh for later in the series while stacking the lineup to handle Crochet better, who’s been lethal against right-handed hitters.

Now, it’s a smart, matchup-driven move that shows Boone is willing to lean on platoon advantages when everything is on the line. And make no mistake, a healthy Chisholm will still be central to the Yankees’ World Series hopes.

Others besides Chisholm are also missing the game

Well, apart from Jazz Chisholm,

there are a few other names the Yankees chose to drop from the opening roster against the Red Sox. The most notable name is Ben Rice. According to reports, for the series opener, the Yankees rolled with Austin Wells behind the plate and Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Yes, on the surface, it makes sense, but here’s the wrinkle…

Ben Rice was one of New York’s hottest bats down the stretch. For the unversed, over the final month of the season, he slashed .301/.333/.554 with four homers and 14 RBIs. And yes, Boone’s well aware of that, which is why this choice feels like a gamble. “Just because Rice isn’t in there doesn’t mean he doesn’t impact the game in a big way,” Boone said.

So, the big question now is whether the Yankees will end up second-guessing themselves for leaving Rice out in such a crucial game.

Then there’s Luis Gil…

Gil is also sitting out, which comes as a bit of a surprise. Remember, he made a comeback after missing the early part of the season, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.32 ERA over 11 starts? So between Gil and Chisholm, the Yankees are leaving a couple of big names on the sidelines for their first postseason game. It’s definitely a gamble, and now it’s just a matter of seeing how it plays out.