HOUSTON — Jazz Chisholm Jr. had to remove himself from the Yankees’ wacky 8-4, series-winning victory over the Astros on Thursday, as he suffered contusions to both of his knees on separate plays.
Chisholm hurt his left knee when Jose Altuve attempted to steal second in the third inning. As Altuve slid into the bag, his helmet banged into Chisholm’s knee. While Chisholm was able to apply an inning-ending tag, he hobbled off the field. He then struck out in the top of the fourth before strolling gingerly back to the dugout.
At that point, YES Network cameras filmed Chisholm saying that he had to exit the game. He was replaced by José Caballero at second base in the bottom of the fourth.
Austin Wells had his head on a swivel 🚫
Watch #YANKSonYES live on YES & The @gothamsports App: https://t.co/sWMqNZ0hci pic.twitter.com/XJw8C2H3LT
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While the Yankees didn’t clarify the other play in question when they announced Chisholm’s contusions, he did go down to his right knee on a Ramón Urías grounder in the second inning. He took a moment to compose himself before firing to first.
Chisholm has been one of baseball’s best second basemen this year, hitting .242/.339/.499 with 28 home runs, 70 RBI, 26 stolen bases and a 132 wRC+. He needs just two more dingers and four more steals to join the Yankees’ two-man 30-30 club.
Chisholm already missed a month with an oblique strain this season. Shortly after that, he nursed a nagging groin injury.
While Chisholm sustained a few more aches on Thursday, the Yankees took an early lead when Ryan McMahon picked up an RBI single in the second. Yordan Alvarez tied things up with a solo homer off Carlos Rodón in the third, but the fifth saw McMahon crush his 19th home run of the season and third with the Yankees, a solo shot, before Cody Bellinger added an RBI knock that ended Cristian Javier’s night.
Former Yankee Enyel De Los Santos then entered, only to walk in a run on his second pitch clock violation of the inning.
The game took a crazy turn in the sixth when third base umpire Brian Walsh — whose strike zone was widely ridiculed on Wednesday — ruled that McMahon did not catch a ball on the fly, even though the third baseman clearly did. A conversation with the other umps didn’t change anything, leaving the Yankees infuriated with Walsh for the second straight night.
Brian Walsh rules that Ryan McMahon did not catch this ball and after a conversation with the other umpires the call on the field stands pic.twitter.com/kTAH9X3KZX
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 5, 2025
Shortly thereafter, the Astros scored when Caballero made a throwing error on a potential double play ball, though Ben Rice, already charged with an error in the second inning, should have at least stopped the low throw at first.
Luke Weaver then surrendered a solo homer to pinch-hitter Jesús Sánchez in the seventh. That cut the Yankees’ lead to one, but Fernando Cruz went on to escape a jam that he inherited from Weaver.
McMahon added his third ribbie with a single in the eighth, while Trent Grisham followed up with a three-run homer — his 30th of the season and the 100th of his career — that gave the Yankees plenty of breathing room.
That cushion came in handy in the ninth, as David Bednar worked into trouble and permitted an RBI single to Yordan Alvarez. Prior to that, there was a lengthy delay, as Taylor Trammell had his bat confiscated and given to a league authenticator following a double. Aaron Boone requested that the umps inspect the lumber.
With their second-to-last road trip of the regular season over, the Yankees will continue a grueling stretch of games against fellow contenders at home on Friday when they welcome Toronto to the Bronx. The first-place Blue Jays hold a three-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East heading into the highly-anticipated three-game series.
