Anthony Volpe’s Saturday blunder may have served as the perfect representation of the New York Yankees’ current state.

After recording the last out of the fourth inning of a 12-6 loss to the New York Mets, the shortstop threw the ball to right fielder Aaron Judge as he crossed into the infield. Judge was not looking, and the ball hit him in the face, leaving a small cut near his right eye.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was somewhat taken back by the incident, via ESPN.

“Confusion,” Boone said. “I didn't know what happened initially. [It just] felt like something happened. Of course I was a little concerned.”

New York has now lost six straight games. The Yankees own the worst team ERA since June 28, and they have struggled to complete basic plays that can make the difference between winning and losing.

“Just got to play better,” Judge said. “That's what it comes down to. It's fundamentals. Making a routine play, routine. It's just the little things. That's what it kind of comes down to. But every good team goes through a couple bumps in the road.”

Prior to Saturday’s game, New York announced that Clarke Schmidt would undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. The news came while the team was already dealing with an injury to starter Luis Gil, and accepting the reality of a season without ace Gerrit Cole.

The Yankees will need to find answers quickly. Once they finish the Queens portion of the Subway Series with the Mets on Sunday, the Pinstripes will play sets against the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs before the All-Star break.

“The offense is starting to swing the bat, put some runs on the board,” Boone said. “The pitching, which has kind of carried us a lot this season, has really, really struggled this week. We haven't caught the ball as well as I think we should.

“So, look, when you live it and you're going through it, it sucks, it hurts. But you got to be able to handle it. You got to be able to deal with it. You got to be able to weather it and come out of this and grow.”

The season is far from over, but the Bronx Bombers will have to recover quickly if they have designs on defending their American League East title.

More New York Yankees News
Hall of Fame Inductee Ichiro Suzuki answers questions during the media press conference at the Clarke Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY.
How Ichiro Suzuki ‘cleansed himself’ at Hall of FameChristopher Hennessy ·
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walks to the dug out after making a pitching change against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Yankees’ Aaron Boone drops defiant AL East take after Aaron Judge injuryColin Loughran ·
New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) shown in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Yankees rumors: What New York won’t do with Aaron Judge when he returns from injuryColin Loughran ·
New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (78) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Yankees rumors: What rival GMs are saying about Spencer Jones tradeColin Loughran ·
Washington Nationals third baseman Amed Rosario (13) hits the ball into play against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning at Nationals Park.
Why Amed Rosario trade makes sense for the YankeesAbdullah Imran ·
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park.
Yankees rumors: Why New York traded for Ryan McMahon over Eugenio SuarezBenjamin Adducchio ·