Overview
- The Yankees announced their Game 1 lineup on Tuesday, Sept. 29, leaving Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the starting nine while Boston named left-hander Payton Tolle as the Red Sox starter.
- Manager Aaron Boone told reporters he texted Chisholm that he “might be the most important person in the building tonight,” signaling a planned situational bench role rather than a traditional start.
- Chisholm has played only three games since suffering a thumb injury on Sept. 8 and was activated earlier in the week, a limited workload that factored into the decision to sit him.
- Matchup data strengthens Boone’s choice because Chisholm produced better offense against right-handers this year (.738 OPS, 14 HR) than left-handers (.650 OPS, 5 HR), making him less ideal to start against a lefty.
- With Aaron Judge still sidelined, the Yankees are relying on timely contributions from bench players and may use Chisholm as a pinch-hitter if Boston turns to a right-handed reliever in a key moment.