It only took a finger to the head for the league office to hit the phones! What was supposed to be a tense moment at second base has now turned into a full-blown MLB investigation. During Saturday night’s game between the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, Jazz Chisolm Jr. found himself in something more serious than stealing a bag. With Anthony Volpe still at the plate and Chisolm taking a lead-off, Braves coach Eddie Perez suddenly made a gesture towards Chisolm. He was pointing to his temple and mouthing something.

Now this caught the attention of the Yankees’ dugout. But what exactly was Perez saying? Well, those answers change depending on whom you ask. For some, it was a simple “be smart,” and for some, a not-so-great threat about “head-hunting.”

Chisholm Jr. is not one to stop at the gestures of others, and so he fired back. Soon, both dugouts were eyeing each other. Later, skipper Aaron Boone, talking about this, mentioned, “I hope it didn’t [have to do with throwing at his head], because obviously there’s no place for that… I hope he didn’t mean anything like that by it, because that would deserve some looking into.” And guess what? MLB has agreed! And not everyone is taking kindly to it.

So, MLB has opened a full-blown investigation to determine if there was ill intent or suggested retaliation by throwing at a player’s head. A move that would raise some serious safety concerns. But not everyone is buying this drama, at least not former Marlins president David Samson. He didn’t shy away from coming to jump in to defend Perez. In his Nothing Person with David Samson podcast, he said, “I know Eddie Perez. I’m trying to think of a nicer guy in the game than Eddie Perez. Maybe the third base coach for the Braves, Freddy Gonzalez. Maybe that’s who’s nicer… There is no way Eddie Perez was suggesting that they were going to throw at the head of Jazz.”

According to Samson, people are just making this a bigger deal than it needs to be. And he gave his reason to think so, too. “It’s not like you give a warning, looking at a player and saying, ‘Hey, be smart.'” Still, for now, MLB has launched a full-blown review, digging into the footage and on-field audio to figure out what happened and what the entire incident meant. As for how long this investigation will last, it turns out Samson knows some fortune telling!

He is convinced that the drama will be over before it even begins: “I hope that this is one of those investigations that disappears very quickly. That MLB just simply comes out and says, ‘Yes, the investigation’s over. No discipline whatsoever. We spoke to the parties involved, and that’s all we’re going to say on the matter.” But in a season where the emotions are already high and the New York Yankees are fighting for momentum, even a passing gesture can spark something bigger. It’s a wait-and-watch game now!

Braves coach defends himself over Jazz Chisholm Jr. drama

Jazz Chisholm Jr. didn’t take the matter lightly. He was even caught mimicking crying with his right hand and then gave a dismissive wave towards the Braves’ dugout. He seemed mad! However, Braves coach Eddie Perez, who was at the center of the storm, insists that it was never meant to escalate. Perez clarified to MLB what he said, “I was just saying, ‘Be smart,’” after the Yankees outslugged Atlanta 12-9. “I like that guy. He’s one of my favorites. And he got mad about it. I don’t know why he got mad about it.” 

And if you ask Perez, he seemed more surprised than upset. And well, given Chisholm looked so fired up and vented to his teammates like Judge, and given even Yankees coach Luis Rojas tried to calm things down, it is understandable why he would be surprised. Chisholm, for his part, added nothing more to the ordeal. After the game and even the next morning, he said simply, “No comment.”

Aaron Boone, after demanding an investigation from MLB, clarified that he has not spoken to Perez or even to Brian Snitker. Interestingly, though, this is not the first time the Yankees were caught up in a sign-spotting moment this month. Back on July 10, during a wild 6-5 extra-inning over Seattle, Bellinger and a few more made some gestures from second base. It was so noticeable that even Cal Raleigh called them up for it. “Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet. It’s part of the game. It’s our job. We should have known about that going into the series. They made it really hard there at the end.”

Maybe the Yankees are playing the game now, with extra flair! Do you, too, think MLB’s reaction was more than needed? Let us know.