Controversy loves Jazz Chisholm Jr., and every time, as it feels like he has had enough, a new one arises out of nowhere. Usually, it stems from something he actually did, arguing with an umpire, attempting a flashy play that backfires, or making a defensive mistake. But this time, the New York Yankees’ second baseman found himself at the center of a viral storm for something he didn’t even do.

During the Yankees vs Rangers game on Wednesday, Chisholm was guarding second base. Just when everything seemed fine, eagle-eyed fans didn’t miss Chisholm’s unusual accessory that looked like an AirPod! Questions were raised, and Chisholm replied in his typical style.

Chisholm’s Instagram story shows he had a cotton ball stuffed in his right ear. Reason? Chisholm took a hit from a grounder on Monday. Josh Smith smoked a ground ball, and when Chisholm tried stopping the ball, it kicked off his glove and hit him in the head. His right ear took a minor hit, but the earache remained. “It gave me an earache for like three or four days,” he said.

He also explained that he could barely hear out of it and was dealing with a constant ringing.

So, before the game, to muffle the noise and ease the ringing, Chisholm came up with his own DIY solution: stuffing a cotton wad into his ear canal. We are not sure if that worked or not, but it surely gave birth to another controversy. His cotton wad was mistaken for an AirPod, and the first post raising the question already racked up 381,000 views.

Chisholm had no other way but to respond to the critics in his own way. He added he “barely hears anything out of my right ear” since Monday.

However, by Friday, the ringing had gone down. He also wore an actual AirPod in the clubhouse before going out on the field. According to him, he kept it on noise cancellation mode to comfort his ringing ear, and it worked. “Right now,” he said, “I’m feeling better. … My right ear was ringing for like three days.”

Still, despite Chisholm staying on the safe side here, his on-field numbers have yet to make noise for him.

Jazz Chisholm is yet to be at his best this year

Jazz Chisholm is currently hitting .205 and has belted 3 homers this season, which is anything but his 50-50 season target. In contrast, Chisholm’s 2026 resume includes some of the weirdest errors in the field.

Last month, against the Marlins, Chisholm failed to charge a routine ground ball hit by Otto Lopez in the ninth inning. He took his time with the throw to first, allowing Lopez to reach on an infield single and sparking a Marlins rally. Even the Yankees manager publicly noted that Chisholm “lay back on it” and needed to be more aware of the runner’s speed.

Then, against the Astros, Chisholm requested an ABS challenge on a 3-2 pitch that was shown to be dead center in the strike zone. The move led to widespread ridicule and a post-game pledge from Chisholm to “fine himself” $1,000 for the mistake. So, he is yet to showcase his worth, at least as per his 30-30 season last year.

The Yankees, with a 21-11 record, are too comfortable to think about Chisholm’s rough phase presently. But as the season progresses, they are going to need him to perform offensively and defensively.