Jazz Chisholm Jr. endured one of baseball's most painful plays Thursday night (June 18), and unfortunately for him, his Yankees teammates couldn't help but laugh at first.
The Yankees second baseman exited New York's 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning after a foul ball ricocheted directly into his groin, leaving him sprawled on the ground in obvious pain.
The sequence unfolded on a 2-2 pitch from White Sox starter Shawn Burke. Chisholm got a piece of the knuckle curve, but the ball bounced off the dirt in front of home plate and shot upward, catching him flush in the groin before he had any chance to react.
Chisholm immediately doubled over and collapsed to the dirt.
He remained on the ground for several minutes as trainers and manager Aaron Boone rushed onto the field to check on him. Eventually, the two-time All-Star was able to get to his feet and slowly walk off under his own power, though he appeared to be in significant discomfort.
While Chisholm was down, cameras cut to the Yankees dugout, where Clarke Schmidt, Trent Grisham, and Gerrit Cole initially appeared to chuckle at the unfortunate accident.
Anthony Volpe entered the game in Chisholm's place, while fans online immediately began debating another topic entirely: whether Chisholm was wearing a protective cup. And as it turns out, he never has.
“I've never worn a cup. I've never got hit in the balls," Chisholm said, via the New York Daily News' Gary Phillips, which drew strong reactions from fans.
"Baffles me guys don't wear cups," one fan wrote. "You wear them in sliding shorts, you can't even feel it. Especially infielders."
Boone didn't have many answers regarding Chisholm's status after the game.
"I haven't heard anything about his condition yet," the Yankees manager said. "I hope he's okay. I just hope it's not a long-term injury."
For now, Chisholm is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury although there doesn’t seem to be any lasting effects.
The 2025 American League Silver Slugger at second base has been one of New York's key contributors this season, batting .228 with 10 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 70 games while playing on a one-year deal ahead of free agency.
