Jazz Chisholm Jr. refuses bench time as he battles a slump

Following a three-strikeout outing that ended a 1-0 defeat to the Mariners, Jazz Chisholm Jr. told reporters he does not think sitting on the bench would help his season-long offensive woes. He emphasized that staying in the game is his preferred way to work through difficulties, even though his OPS has dropped sharply from the previous year. While his batting average against left-handed pitching is comparable to right-handed, his OPS against lefties is significantly lower, and he admits to a 40 percent whiff rate on every pitch type.

Manager Aaron Boone noted Chisholm’s good swing decisions and patience but said the missing hot streak hampers the team’s broader hitting issues. Chisholm also referenced talks with veteran Paul Goldschmidt about the pressures of pending free agency, though he claims his concerns are more about overall performance than contract matters.