The New York Yankees dropped the game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, but the night’s main highlight was how Jazz Chisholm took the worst hit at the worst place. And sure enough, Chisholm will never dare to visit the plate without wearing a cup in the future.

At the bottom of the fourth inning, Chisholm left the field with visible pain in his eyes after fouling a pitch to his groin. However, while the injury could get serious and Chisholm may miss a few games, the Yankees dugout and the fans couldn’t help but have a light moment.

“Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the game after fouling a ball off his nuts,” Talkin’ Yanks shared via X.

In the fourth, the score was tied 1-1, and Chisholm was at the plate with two outs and the White Sox’s Shawn Burke on the mound. Chisholm hit the 81 mph knuckle curve that caught the tip of the wood and bounced near the home plate. The ball came back and hit him in the groin area. Chisholm couldn’t stay intact and knelt on the grass, trying to hold his breath. The replay showed it was a hard hit, and trainers and Aaron Boone immediately visited him.

However, despite the trainer’s attention, Chisholm couldn’t get up, and just then, the camera focused on the Yankees’ dugout. Chisholm’s teammates’ reaction was surprising.

Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Clark Schmidt were seen struggling to hold their laughs, which surely didn’t mean any harm, but the timing was just not right. “I’m hoping he is [OK],” Boone said after the game without going deep about Chisholm’s availability in the next series. Moreover, the injury also comes at the wrong time. Jazz Chisholm started the season on a slow note, but was steadily getting hot. He scored 10 HRs at .228. Just when the Yankees are already missing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, Chisholm entering the IL would be the last hit a team could bear.

The Yankees already have an uneasy experience with Chisholm’s injury in the past. Last year, Chisholm missed around 6 weeks with a right oblique strain. His injury forced the team to rely heavily on roster alternatives while simultaneously dealing with other infield departures and injuries. This time, the team has very limited power-hitting options to replace Chisholm.

For the fans, they can’t help but be left in splits.

Mixed-bag reactions from the Yankees fans on Jazz Chisholm

Fans can feel the pain by seeing Chisholm’s reaction. “Jizzum’s gonna feel this for a while,” one fan said. “This reaction says it all,” another added. Despite being attended by the trainer and Boone, Chisholm was seen trying to hold his breath and couldn’t get up. A hard hit to the groin area could cause a temporary respiratory issue, and it will stay with him for a while. However, we do hope Chisholm will not forget to wear his cup next time. An uneasy reminder of why safety always comes first.

“Guarantee he’s not wearing a cup again.. That’s wild to me that some pros don’t… like what,” one user added. Baseball batters constantly face high-velocity pitches that can easily break off into foul tips or hit them directly in the groin. A baseball can travel at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Being struck directly in the groin without protection can lead to ruptured testicles, internal bleeding, and extreme pain. A few fans thus questioned Chisholm for not using proper protection.

“Do you not wear a protective cup in baseball?” One user asked. Not only on the plate, but once a batter gets on base, they become a baserunner and are exposed to hard tags, pick-off throws, and hard slides. Modern advancements in athletic gear, like carbon-fiber and highly ergonomic compression shorts, have made wearing a cup much more comfortable, allowing batters to maintain full mobility while staying completely protected. Chisholm realised it in a hard way.

“This is no joke. Mitch Haniger lost a testicle and the remainder of a season from this,” another user remarked.

Despite the Yankees’ dugout having a field day, a groin injury is no joke. Mitch Haniger’s most famous and severe groin-related injury occurred in 2019, when he fouled a fastball directly off his groin. The impact caused a ruptured testicle that required emergency surgery. We would now wait for the latest update, and if Chisholm could be available for the next game. Till then, we pray for his faster recovery.