Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees are doing their best to stick together during a challenging time, and that means rallying behind their young shortstop, Anthony Volpe. After a tough 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night, Judge stepped up to share some encouraging words for his teammate, who’s been having a rough time at the plate as of late

Volpe went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, leaving several runners stranded in scoring position. His hitless streak has now reached 22 at-bats, and he’s struggling with a .194/.242/.339 line in June. Nevertheless, Judge expressed his unwavering confidence in the 23-year-old, stating that Volpe is the kind of player who will “outwork anybody in this room.”

Judge, who had a fantastic game of his own, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run, was aware of what Volpe was going through. He told him to “keep doing your thing” and not to stress about any bad playing. He reminded him that “nobody, especially the Orioles, feels bad for you.” Judge demonstrated strong leadership and support during a challenging time for a young player trying to overcome a slump.

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Volpe has had a few rough outings lately, including a costly error earlier in the week during a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. A misthrow on what could have been an inning-ending play allowed the go-ahead run to score for the Angels. After that game, Volpe took full responsibility, admitting he needed to “be aggressive” and own the moment.

Despite these individual challenges, the Yankees are still leading the American League East with a 43-32 record. Volpe has a great opportunity to turn things around soon as the team continues its series against Baltimore. He’s historically performed well against Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin, who is set to draw the start on Saturday, boasting a .333 average with four RBIs in 18 at-bats against. As Judge the Yankees set their sights on a deep playoff run, Volpe’s comeback could be crucial.