Yankees Playoff Push Hit Hard as Jazz Chisholm Goes Down

The New York Yankees look a bit more vulnerable now in the standings after losing Jazz Chisholm.

Sep 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) singles during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees just got one star back at the perfect time with the American League playoff race heating up. But they lost a different one on Wednesday.

Aaron Judge just returned, but the Yankees' lineup wasn't whole for long. Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was placed on the 10-day Injured List due to a sprained right thumb. In his place, Jack Curry of YES Network reported that polarizing infielder Anthony Volpe will be recalled from Triple-A.

"When Jazz Chisholm is placed on the IL, Anthony Volpe will be recalled from AAA. Volpe will join the team tomorrow. Chisholm is still active and will be available to pinch-run tonight," Curry wrote.

Jazz Chisholm Impact On AL Playoff Race

Sep 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; ep 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second base Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) reacts after a video review confirms an out at second base on a single during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chisholm hasn't had as explosive a season as you'd typically expect from the two-time All-Star. But he still has 19 homers, 55 RBIs and is leading the league with 40 stolen bases. Since Aug. 19, Chishom has slashed .364/.446/.545 with a .992 OPS in 18 games. Over that span, the Yankees went 11-7.

Right now, the Yankees are in second place in the American League East and are four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place. The Yankees have the top American League Wild Card spot and a three-game lead over the Boston Red Sox, plus the tiebreaker. Neither of these two races are over. The Yankees have a four-game series against the Rays beginning on Sep. 22 that could determine the winner of the AL East.

If the Yankees win the division, they would avoid the red-hot Red Sox in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. If the standings hold, the Yankees would land the top Wild Card spot and host Boston in a three-game series in the Wild Card round at Yankee Stadium. If the Rays win the AL East and Boston catches New York in the standings, then the Red Sox would host the Yankees at Fenway Park in a three-game Wild Card series.

Chisholm is a player who impacts winning. Losing him for even just the 10-day minimum takes a home run threat out of the lineup and the best base stealer in the American League this year. Instead, the Yankees will have someone who has slashed .240/.325/.322 in 56 games in the majors this season with one homer and 19 RBIs in Volpe. He's significantly less of a threat with the bat than Chisholm is.

When it comes to New York, the lineup has been the only weakness. The rotation and bullpen are both elite, but there have been stretches where New York has had trouble scoring. Now one of the club's biggest bats are gone at the most important time of the regular season, which opens the door more for Boston and Tampa Bay.