NEW YORK — Aaron Boone entered the Yankees’ postseason opener with two decisions that could have created as much noise as anything happening between the lines.
Aaron Judge wanted back. The Yankees captain had taken live batting practice Monday while pushing to return from a strained right calf. He had already missed most of the season because of a fractured right rib, returned for seven games and then went back on the injured list after hurting the calf Sept. 16.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. wanted to play. The second baseman had just returned from a sprained right thumb, was heading toward free agency and had made clear how much another October benching would bother him. Chisholm sat against a Boston left-hander in Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card Series and did not hide his displeasure afterward.
Then the Yankees made both calls at once. Judge was left off the Wild Card roster. Chisholm was left out of the Game 1 lineup against Red Sox rookie left-hander Payton Tolle, with Anthony Volpe starting at second base.
The decisions could have become a clubhouse issue before a pitch was thrown. Instead, the Yankees rolled to a 9-0 victory Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Cam Schlittler earned the win with 6 1/3 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts, Tolle took the loss and no save was awarded. Ben Rice went 4-for-5 with two homers, including a grand slam, and six RBIs. Volpe went 1-for-3 and executed a sacrifice bunt.
The result did not erase the personnel questions. It did reveal how Boone handled them before they had a chance to linger.
In a best-of-three series without its captain, the Yankees could not afford extra clubhouse friction.
Boone used two different conversations to lower temperature
The Judge decision was handled in person. After Monday’s live batting-practice session, Boone, Judge and members of the Yankees’ training staff met to assess how close the captain was to returning.
Boone’s message was based on readiness rather than Judge’s willingness to play. Judge had progressed enough to take live swings, but he had not shown that he could run the bases and handle the movement required in right field.
Boone explained why the Yankees stopped short of putting their captain on the roster.
“[Taking BP yesterday was] a significant step for him and a sign he’s shown real improvement over the last couple of weeks. We had an honest conversation last night. I just felt like he wasn’t quite ready,” Boone said.
The Chisholm situation required a different touch. Boone was making a matchup choice, not a medical decision, and he knew Chisholm expected to hear directly from him before the lineup became public.
Chisholm had said a day earlier that Boone had earned his respect for doing exactly that.
“I feel like with Boonie, he will come up to me and let me know what’s going on before it’s put out there, which I always respect that out of him. He’s always been good on that side of things,” Chisholm said.
Boone followed through. He texted Chisholm before Game 1 and framed the benching around the role he still expected him to play.
“Hey, you might be the most important person in the building tonight, and we need you to be ready to go for the biggest spot potentially,” Boone told Chisholm.
Two decisions, two different pressure valves
The contrast in Boone’s approach separates these calls from ordinary postseason transactions.
With Judge, Boone did not try to sell a smaller role. The Yankees had decided that carrying him only as a pinch-hitter was not enough to justify the medical risk. The conversation included trainers and focused on whether he could function as a complete player.
With Chisholm, Boone did the opposite. He reinforced the value of a reduced role for one night and left the door open for an immediate impact off the bench.
“My expectation is that he’ll be ready to go and could play a crucial role as early as tonight,” Boone said before Game 1.
That distinction mattered because the circumstances were different. Judge was trying to force his way back from an injury. Chisholm was healthy enough to play but lost a matchup decision after only three games back from the injured list.
The Yankees also had numbers behind both calls. MLB’s final stats list Judge at .241 with 18 home runs, 41 RBIs and an .871 OPS in 66 games. Chisholm finished at .231 with 19 homers, 55 RBIs and 41 stolen bases in 137 games. Volpe hit .245 with a .321 on-base percentage in 70 games after returning from Triple-A.
Game 1 gave Boone breathing room, not permanent answer
The 9-0 win kept either decision from becoming the dominant postgame story. Chisholm did not appear, while the Yankees never needed Judge’s bat in a game that became a rout.
That changes quickly in a short series. New York leads the best-of-three 1-0 and can advance Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, with Max Fried scheduled to face Sonny Gray.
Chisholm is expected to return to the lineup against the right-hander. Judge remains off the Wild Card roster and will continue his rehabilitation, with a possible ALDS return dependent on the Yankees advancing and his calf meeting the club’s medical benchmarks.
For Boone, the immediate challenge was not simply making two unpopular decisions. It was making sure two important Yankees understood them before frustration could become the story. Through one postseason game, that part of the plan has held.
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