Anthony Volpe’s slump landed him on the bench Sunday night against the Red Sox and there’s no guarantee the shortstop will be back in the lineup Monday.
Aaron Boone said he chose to sit Volpe for the series finale against Boston because Volpe has “scuffled a bit over the last week [or] 10 days.”
The manager also pointed to the presence of Jose Caballero, who provides the Yankees with another solid option at short.
Asked if Volpe would start Monday when the Yankees host the Nationals, Boone said, “We’ll see.”
The Yankees faced right-hander Dustin May on Sunday and are slated to go up against another right-hander, Brad Lord, when Washington arrives Monday before lefty MacKenzie Gore starts Tuesday.
Volpe hasn’t addressed his subpar play in recent days, but he’s found himself in the crosshairs of the fans, especially during his current 1-for-28 stretch that started when the Yankees began a road trip in St. Louis on Aug. 15.
He also made a throwing error in Saturday’s loss to Boston and a mental miscue when he opted to throw behind Jarren Duran to try to get him at second base — rather than make the routine play to first — in Friday’s defeat.
It’s part of what’s been a disappointing season for the 24-year-old, who has taken steps back on both offense and defense in his third year in the majors.
“I haven’t liked his swing for years,” one American League scout said. “Too much focus on power. At this point, this is who he is, I think.”
Boone said he doesn’t believe Volpe has been impacted by the harsh treatment from the crowd and his struggles.
“I think he handles it quite well,” Boone said. “I don’t think he’s overly affected by those things. He’s just a young player who works his tail off. He’s super-competitive and trying to find the next level of consistency in his game offensively. Mentally, he’s very tough and totally wired to handle all the things that go with being a big-leaguer in this city and being a young big-leaguer that’s got a lot of expectation.”
Others aren’t as convinced.
“He’s definitely taken a step back on defense and I don’t know if that’s a result of him not hitting well or being booed,” the AL scout said. “He showed a lot last year when he did what he did in the playoffs, but he’s gone right back to the same things he did wrong during the regular season.”
But it’s Volpe’s performance in the field that’s more worrisome to some scouts.
“He’ll get back to a hot streak at some point, but the fielding is a concern,” another AL scout said, referencing the 11-game stretch Volpe had in late July and early August in which he had seven extra-base hits. “I think he’s gone backwards both last year and this one.”
Defensive metrics can be unreliable, but most agree that Volpe is having his worst year in the field as a major leaguer.
Volpe has been valued for his ability to play every day, but Boone noted the addition of Caballero from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline gave the roster more flexibility.
Boone also insisted Volpe was fully healthy.
But his late-season swoon isn’t new. Volpe had an OPS of just .458 in September, likely a product of the impact of a long season — before his breakout last October in the playoffs.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
