Volpe Out: Yankees Rotate Shortstop After Cold Bat and Errors

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was removed from the starting lineup on Sunday night for the final game of a crucial four-game series against the Boston Red Sox. Volpe, who is going through a slump of 1-28, leads the majors with 17 errors. New York started newly acquired infielder Jose Caballero at shortstop, managing to avoid a sweep with a 7-2 victory. Volpe is batting .208 with 18 home runs and 65 RBIs in 129 games this season. He has started at shortstop in 125 games, but this was only the fifth time this season that he was not included in the starting lineup.

I’m just having offensive struggles the last 10 days, and having Caballero,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained before the game. “Cabby gives you that real utility presence that can play anywhere.

Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager

Volpe entered the defense with the Yankees leading 5-2 in the eighth inning and converted his only opportunity in the field. Caballero moved to right field. Volpe said after the victory that he will not be in the lineup on Monday against the Washington Nationals, but expects to return on Tuesday.

As a competitor and as someone who takes pride and wants to be there every day, you just assume it and look for the positive,” Volpe said. “If I do what I have to do, it will be what it will be. So, it all depends on me.

Anthony Volpe, Yankees Shortstop

Sunday was the second time in eight days that Volpe was not a starter. After going 0-9 in the first two games against the St. Louis Cardinals, he missed the last game of the series last Sunday.

He didn’t connect for hits in 10 at-bats in the first three games against the Red Sox. During Saturday’s 12-1 loss, he had a sacrifice bunt and committed a throwing error on a ground ball by David Hamilton during Boston’s seven-run ninth inning. Volpe, 24, batted .249 in his first 69 games. But since June 14, he’s batting .153, and some Yankees fans have been calling for the team to bench him. Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023 and batted .209 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. Batted .243 with 12 home runs last season, when New York won its first American League pennant since 2009. In the postseason, Volpe batted .286, including a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I think he handles it pretty well,” Boone said of Volpe’s struggles. “I don’t think he gets too affected by those things. He’s just a young player who works hard and is super competitive and is trying to find that next level in his offensive game. I think he’s mentally very strong and totally equipped 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.

Aaron Boone, Yankees Manager

Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline on July 31st, the speedy Caballero was batting .320 in 14 games with the Yankees and .235 overall before Sunday’s game. He went 0-3 against the Red Sox, but drove in Giancarlo Stanton with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. In addition to shortstop, Caballero has started at second base, third base, and right field. New York is 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, who are in first place in the American League East, and half a game behind the Red Sox, who are in second place. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Seattle Mariners are very close in the race for the three American League wild cards.