Volpe Gets Rest, But Remains Yankees’ Starting Shortstop
Shortstop Anthony Volpe was not included in the starting lineup for the New York Yankees for the second consecutive game against the Washington Nationals. Manager Aaron Boone, however, assured that Volpe remains his primary shortstop.“Regularly,” Boone stated when asked about how often he expects to use Volpe for the remainder of the season. “I plan on putting him back out there [on Tuesday] and probably in some capacity tonight and at some point. I just wanted to give him a couple of days here.”
Aaron Boone
Although it was only the sixth time the Yankees played without Volpe as their starting shortstop this season, it was the third time in just over a week. José Caballero, acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, has taken his place on each occasion. Boone expects Caballero, a versatile player, to play multiple positions in the final stretch of the season.
Boone described these two days as a “reset” for Volpe, who entered as a defensive replacement in Sunday’s victory over the Boston Red Sox, but did not bat.The third season of Volpe has been turbulent. In August, his offensive performance has been particularly low. In his last 29 plate appearances, Volpe batted 1-28 with a walk, a double, and 11 strikeouts. Since his four-hit performance on August 1st, he’s batting .121 with a home run, four walks, 19 strikeouts, and an OPS of .414 in 71 plate appearances. In general, he hasn’t taken the step forward that the Yankees expected at the beginning of the season, batting .208 with 18 home runs and an OPS of .675 in 509 plate appearances. His wRC+ of 86 ranks 144th among qualified hitters in the Major Leagues this season. His wRC+ of 85 since his debut at the beginning of the 2023 season is tied for last in the majors among 89 players with at least 1,500 plate appearances during the season.“Obviously, having Caballero here now makes things a little easier when you’re going through this,” Boone said. “So, yeah, I hope a little breather over the course of the season is something that will serve him well down the stretch.”
Aaron Boone
“Production comes in many different ways,” Boone said. “I think sometimes people want it, because he’s a shortstop with speed, like he has to hit for a certain average and do certain things. There are productive offensive players [who] come in many forms. So, he has 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.”
Aaron Boone
Perhaps the most alarming has been Volpe’s defensive regression in 2025. A Gold Glove winner as a rookie and a finalist last season, Volpe’s -7 Outs Above Average this season ranks him 21st among 24 qualified shortstops. Last season, he finished tied for fifth in the majors with 14 OAA.
Ongoing struggles have generated regular boos from local fans, but Boone maintains that the treatment hasn’t affected Volpe.“I think it’s mentally very tough and he’s totally prepared to handle all the things that come with being a major league player in this city and being a young major league player who has a lot of expectations on him.”“I think he handles it pretty well,” Boone said. “I don’t think he gets too affected by those things. This is just a young player who, you know, is trying his tail off and is very competitive and is trying to find that next level of consistency in his offensive game.
Aaron Boone
