NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe didn’t start at shortstop for the New York Yankees for a second straight game Monday night, but manager Aaron Boone said Volpe will return to the lineup Tuesday and remains the team’s starter at the position.
“Just hopefully a little blow in the grind of the season is something that serves him well down the stretch,” Boone said.
José Caballero started again at shortstop Monday for the Yankees, who hosted the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series. Boone said he expected Volpe, who entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 7-2 win over Boston, to get into the game in some capacity Monday.
“I view Cabby getting a lot of run in a lot of different spots,” Boone said. “I view Anthony as our shortstop.”
Boone is hopeful the mini-benching can help Volpe snap an extended slump and find the consistency that’s eluded him for much of his career. Volpe leads the AL with 17 errors this season, and he's also struggled at the plate.
As a rookie in 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove and hit .209 with 21 homers and 24 stolen bases, and he batted .243 last year. This season, he is batting .160 with 10 errors since June 15. The Yankees have gone 28-33 in that span to fall into the second AL wild-card spot.
“Hitting’s hard,” said Boone, who batted .263 during a 12-year big league career. “He’s shown all the signs that he can be a really good offensive player.”
The 24-year-old Volpe has 18 homers and a career-high 65 RBIs to go along with 15 steals but is batting .208 — the second-lowest average amongst qualified hitters. His .675 OPS is the 14th-lowest in the majors.
“I think sometimes people want him, because he’s a shortstop with speed, he’s got to hit for a certain average and do certain things,” Boone said. “No. Productive players come in many shapes and forms. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s shown a lot of flashes of that. I think the next thing for Anthony, though, is the consistency part and limiting some of the peaks and valleys.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Jerry Beach, The Associated Press
