Story summary
In Game 3 of the ALDS between the Yankees and Rays on October 5, Aaron Boone made significant lineup changes in an attempt to avoid elimination. Boone replaced Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had committed errors in Game 2, with Anthony Volpe at second base. He also swapped José Caballero for Ryan McMahon at third base due to McMahon's poor performance and error in the previous game. The Yankees face Nick Martinez of the Rays, despite Martinez having given up six runs over his last two games. Max Fried will pitch for the Yankees, emphasizing that the team’s season is on the line as they look to avoid a series sweep.
Written for “Yankees Rays Playoff Game” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
In their biggest game of the season, the Yankees put Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the bench.
asserted
Yankees → put → bench
And if that was going to be how Chisholm’s tenure with the team ended — replaced by Anthony Volpe at second base for Game 3 of the ALDS on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium — it sure was telling.
asserted
it → go → Stadium
Try it free“Just felt like it,” manager Aaron Boone said in his office before Game 3.
asserted
Boone → try → Game
“I felt like I wanted to go with [Volpe] today.”
asserted
I → feel → Volpe
The impetus for the move was Chisholm’s poor Game 2, when he committed a throwing error in the first inning and nearly had another before George Lombard Jr. saved him, not to mention entering Wednesday 0-for-6 with a walk in the ALDS, though he had plenty of company in that regard.
asserted
he → commit → regard
Boone was not interested in fully explaining his decision or indicating whether the move had more to do with defense or offense, other than saying he thought about it on the plane ride home late Monday night and settled on a different lineup that had Volpe for Chisholm and José Caballero for Ryan McMahon.
asserted
that → explain → McMahon
The manager said he did not have a conversation with Chisholm about taking him out of the lineup — which he also did for Game 1 of the wild-card series against Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle, but this one came against Rays right-hander Nick Martinez.
asserted
one → say → Martinez
“But we’re ready to go,” Boone said.
asserted
Boone → ’re → ?
“As I talked to these guys before the series, it’s going to take all of us. …
asserted
it → talk → us
He’s ready to go.”
asserted
He → ’ → ?
Chisholm, a pending free agent who did not take the field for any pregame work, has had a maddeningly inconsistent run with the Yankees, one that is unlikely to continue beyond this year.
asserted
that → pende → year
He may have more talent and tools than almost any other player on the roster, most notably his speed, athleticism and power, but the Yankees have not been able to get that out of him regularly enough, especially this year.
uncertain
Yankees → have → him
The 28-year-old hit only .231 with a .711 OPS, 19 home runs and 41 steals in 137 games during the regular season.
asserted
old → hit → season
He was finally starting to get hot late in August into September before spraining his right thumb and going on the injured list, which opened the door for Volpe to be called up from Triple-A, where the former shortstop had been transitioning to second base (and even some third base mixed in).
asserted
shortstop → start → base
Volpe may well have a chance to take over at second base next season, but he also got the call Wednesday with the season on the line.
uncertain
season → have → line
“Just [hoping for a] spark again,” Boone said.
asserted
Boone → hop → spark
“I think Anthony has played well since coming up at the end of the year.
asserted
Anthony → think → year
Both sides of the ball, he’s done a good job.
asserted
he → do → job
So, yeah, felt like it made some sense to get him in there tonight, a few more righties at least in the lineup tonight, give a little more balance.”
asserted
it → feel → balance
Chisholm’s most egregious defensive miscue in Game 2 came when he tried to turn a double play on Junior Caminero in the bottom of the first, which was going to be tough to do even if he made a perfect throw.
asserted
he → come → throw
Instead, he made an off-balance, ill-advised throw to first and it went skipping by Luis García Jr., allowing a run to score and Caminero to take second.
asserted
Caminero → make → second
After the game, Chisholm said he would still make the throw if he could do it all over again, though Boone tried to downplay that as a confident player just answering a question.
uncertain
Boone → say → question
“I don’t think he should have thrown the ball,” Boone said Wednesday.
asserted
Boone → think → ball
“But when you throw the ball, you can always play catch at a high level, just because it’s late.
asserted
it → throw → level
But sometimes when you ask athletes questions and you get a lot of people around, they answer a certain way.
asserted
they → ask → people
It’s not so much literal all the time.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
“Jazz is pretty much, when he’s pressed like that, going to always answer it in the moment, ‘I’d never not do anything.’
asserted
I → press → anything
Let’s not over-literalize everything a guy answers.”
asserted
guy → let → everything
The Aporia
