The New York Yankees salvaged their four-game set with the Boston Red Sox thanks to a 7-2 victory on Sunday night. But, shortstop Anthony Volpe was not a pivotal part of the effort.
Volpe did not start the series finale, and entered the game on defense in the eighth inning. He was also informed that he will not be in Monday's lineup against the Washington Nationals.
“As a competitor and as someone that takes pride and wants to be out there every day, you just take it on the chin and you look for the positives,” Volpe told ESPN. “If I do what I got to do, it'll be what it is. So, it's all on me.”
Across 129 games this season, Volpe has hit 18 home runs and earned a .675 OPS. Over his last seven contests, he has posted a 0.53 batting average. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Jose Caballero in place of Volpe during the final home game against Boston.
“Just scuffling a little bit offensively here over the last 10 days, [and] having Caballero,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained pregame. “Cabby gives you that real utility presence that can go play anywhere.”
The 24-year-old’s results at the plate have been inconsistent, and his performance in the field has left something to be desired. According to Baseball Savant, Volpe ranks in the fourth percentile in Range and the 15th percentile in Fielding Run Value.
Despite winning a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023, and being a key contributor during the Yankees’ run to the 2024 World Series, 2025 has been a challenging campaign for the righty.
“I think he handles it quite well,” Boone said of Volpe. “I don't think he's overly affected by those things. Just a young player that works his tail off and is super competitive and is trying to find that next level in his game offensively. I think he's mentally very tough and totally wired to handle all of the things that go with being a big leaguer in this city and being a young big leaguer that's got a lot of expectations on him.”
The Yankees are 70-60 on the season. They currently own the second American League Wild Card spot.
