New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had a rough start to his day on Wednesday. Yankees announcer Michael Kay started a rumor on Tuesday, stating that Volpe refused to play second base. Volpe refuted the claim, and Kay apologized for the false rumor.
Via The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner on X: Anthony Volpe: “When I was getting optioned, I told Boonie I’d play catcher. I’d do literally whatever the team needed, and that’s the truth.”
Via Michael Kay on X: I spoke of a rumor yesterday on TMKS that Anthony Volpe would not play 2B in the minors. Sounded unlike him, so I checked further today and there is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever. He never refused to work at second.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone Drops Heartfelt Anthony Volpe Quote Amid Criticism
GettyAaron Boone and the New York Yankees won their first clash against the Tampa Bay Rays
Via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch on X: “[Volpe] handles things incredibly well,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I don’t think he’s affected by the different things that can be said on social [media]. He’s just a gamer and he’s a tough kid who loves the game and plays his butt off every single day. I wish that was celebrated a little bit more.”
Volpe has had a rough season, hitting just .240/.338/.326 (94 wRC+) in 41 games with the Yankees. He has also spent a good portion of the season in Triple-A.
The Yankees have faced a lot of heat lately for continuing to let Volpe play shortstop. While Volpe has struggled defensively at times, his defensive metrics are actually not bad (+1 Defensive Run Saved and +5 Outs Above Average).
However, many believe that José Caballero is a better defensive shortstop. The Yankees have used Caballero at shortstop throughout this season, but have been playing him at second base whenever Volpe is in the lineup and playing shortstop.
New York Yankees Right Now
The Yankees are arguably the best team in the American League on paper. They have the best run differential in the league by far at +80, with the Tampa Bay Rays ranking second at +33.
However, Tampa Bay has managed to win more games to this point in the season. Based on talent, New York seems to still have the best shot to win the AL East. But right now, the Rays lead the division by two games.
The Yankees must turn things around quickly to reclaim the division lead. If the Yankees drop the next two games against the Rays, they will be six games back of Tampa Bay in the division. But if they win the next two, they will be just two back.
Game 3 of the four-game series between the Yankees and Rays at Tropicana Field is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. It’s a highly anticipated pitching matchup, with right-hander Gerrit Cole (3-3, 4.01 ERA, 41 SO, 42 2/3 IP) slated to take the mound for New York and left-hander Shane McClanahan (7-5, 3.05 ERA, 77 SO, 79 2/3 IP) for Tampa Bay. With a left-hander on the mound, Goldschmidt will most likely be in the lineup. The game will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and Rays.TV.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone Drops Heartfelt Anthony Volpe Quote Amid Criticism