Aaron Boone makes another lineup change with intent as Yankees fans get louder

On Tuesday night, Aaron Boone inserted Amed Rosario into the starting lineup and gave Ryan McMahon a breather after a rough stretch of play. On Wednesday night, Rosario remained but McMahon took over at shortstop as Jose Caballero got a night off amid his current offensive malaise.

On Thursday, Boone hit the trifecta. He's giving Jazz Chisholm Jr. the opportunity to reset this afternoon. Rosario will get the start at second base against the Athletics at 1:35 p.m. ET with McMahon returning to third and Caballero returning to short.

Yankees fans have been calling for Chisholm get a day off (like they did with McMahon) because of the extended stretch of cold weather the team has had to play in. It was not warm in San Francisco or Seattle, and it's been even colder in New York as the city has gotten an unlucky pocket of weather over the last week or so.

Chisholm is not what you'd consider a cold weather player, especially after we learned that 2025 featured his worst stretch of games in March/April of his career. He's also been particularly bad in October (though that's less of an isolated instance given the pressure and stakes). That's not out of the question for somebody who played in Miami from 2020-2024.

Still, the naked eye can tell us Jazz isn't having a great time in the cold, and it's reflected with his offense (his defense, for the most part, has been excellent). He's hitting just .190 with a .523 OPS in 11 games. He's struck out 15 times in 46 plate appearances.

He's a tremendously talented player, but he doesn't need to be on the field every day right out of the gate. The Yankees can afford to rest their top performers if it means saving them from a prolonged slump or preserving them for later in the year.

Aaron Boone sits Jazz Chisholm in Yankees' series finale is a smart decision fans will support

Props to Boone for finally being intent with this change in philosophy as we begin a new campaign. Too often in recent years we have seen guys run into the ground (Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Alex Verdugo, etc.) when there's been little reason to do so. The Yankees are always a talented team and can afford to mix things up. That's not to say they can get too relaxed, but with the depth they possess now it's probably the most opportune and appropriate time to go with different looks more often.

Yankees fans are optimistic about Chisholm's ability to deliver another All-Star campaign. But right now he isn't seeing the ball well. He's both chasing and being passive. It's a bad combination. So with left-hander Jeffrey Springs on the mound for the Athletics on Thursday afternoon (and with temperatures in the 40s), Boone made the no-brainer, correct call.

Look for Jazz to return Friday in Tampa against the Rays. Back at the Trop! It's as good a chance as any for him to get back on track in sunny Florida.