Anthony Volpein was left out of the Yankees’ starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Red Sox due to his ongoing slump.
Since securing the starting shortstop position for the Yankees as a rookie in 2023 after spring training, Volpe has been a consistent member of the team’s lineup. Aaron Boone did not, however, guarantee that the 24-year-old will play against the Nationals on Monday.
Yes, the manager answered, we’ll see. We shall see. I haven’t come to any firm [decisions].
Although Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has previously stated that the infielder has played through issues this season, Boone emphasized that Volpe is fully healthy. Early in the season, Volpe suffered a blow to his left shoulder, and in June, he was hit by a pitch to his left elbow.
Since his debut, Volpe has been a mainstay in the team, yet his regular appearance has been uncalled for. As his third major league season draws to a close, Volpe came into Sunday’s game with a.222/.284/.380 slash line and an 85 wRC+ over 1,799 plate appearances.
Volpe was ranked 88th in average and on-base percentage, and 87th in wRC+ and OPS (.665) out of the 88 players who have made 1,500 plate appearances since 2023.
In his first 128 games this season, Volpe has hit.208/.274/.400 with 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and an 86 wRC+. He has already surpassed his personal record of 21 home runs and set a career high for RBI. However, he has continued to be prone to sharp peaks and troughs, which has left him a mystery at the plate.
After going 8-for-66 (.121) with just one home run and 19 strikeouts in as many games, Volpe was benched. Before that, in 14 games after the All-Star break, he was 14-for-50 with seven home runs.
Even worse, this season has seen a significant reversal in the Gold Glove defense. His -7 Outs Above Average placed him 22nd out of 25 eligible shortstops, and his 17 mistakes on Sunday were second only to Elly De La Cruz’s 18.
Although Boone has mostly overlooked the subpar defense and nearly every error made by Volpe, the captain admitted that the player has been struggling at the plate for the past seven to ten days. Before the Red Sox series, Volpe had fielded well.
However, it has lasted longer, leading to the childhood Yankees fan receiving constant jeers.
When asked if Volpe has suffered psychologically from the criticism, Boone responded, “I think he handles it quite well.” I don’t believe those things have a significant impact on him. This is just a young kid who is very competitive, works really hard, and is looking to improve his offensive consistency.
As a young big leaguer with a lot of expectations, he is psychologically tough and completely wired to handle everything that comes with being a big leaguer in this city.
Boone and Cashman have consistently defended the New York native while maintaining that he has more to offer, so it is unclear if the Yankees would change their expectations for Volpe or his role.
But on Sunday, the versatile Jos Caballero was forced to start at shortstop with Volpe on the bench.After being traded from the Rays, Caballero hit.320/.433/.600 with two home runs, four RBI, and six stolen bases in his first 14 games with the Yankees, kicking off the speedster’s career.
Caballero is a spark, according to Boone, who also mentioned that the obnoxious player provides the Yankees with a reliable shortstop option off the bench. When Oswald Peraza, a slick fielder but one of baseball’s worst hitters, was the team’s backup shortstop earlier this season, they lacked that.
According to Boone, Cabbie provides you that genuine utilitarian presence that can be played anywhere, particularly in shorts. This is the season’s all-hands-on-deck phase. We changed our staff and our capabilities when we brought in Caballero.
