Yankees manager gives ominous answer about benching Anthony Volpe

In a surprising turn of events, the New York Yankees  appear to be turning their backs on struggling shortstop Anthony Volpe. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who has long been a supporter of the young infielder, has dramatically changed his tune. Boone chose not to pencil Volpe’s name into the lineup for Sunday’s match against the Boston Red Sox, and when asked if Volpe would be back Monday, he said, “We’ll see,” as reported by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. 

Recently, the Yankees have struggled to string together hits as well as make simple defensive plays. Volpe has been at the forefront of both problems. The 24-yea r-old shortstop has just one hit in his last 29 plate appearances. He is hitting .208/.274/.400 with 18 home runs this season.

Volpe has also been under fire all year for his abysmal defense. In Saturday’s game, Volpe committed his 17th error of the season when he threw the ball over the head of first baseman Ben Rice on a routine grounder. This is the second-highest error total in baseball. Errors aside, Volpe has also cost the Yankees with his fielding decisions. On Friday, Volpe made a consequential fielder’s choice play on an attempt to turn a double play, which instead resulted in no outs. He is responsible for -7 outs above average this season.

Volpe’s plummeting popularity in the Bronx coincides with the rise of José Caballero, who has been amazing for the Yankees during his short time in pinstripes, hitting .320/.433/.600 with two home runs and six stolen bases in 25 at-bats entering Sunday. Caballero was penciled in as Volpe’s replacement on Sunday, but this raises the question of whether Boone’s comments point to a more permanent adjustment.

That said, Volpe has explosive potential. A former top prospect, Volpe is proven capable of hitting 20 home runs in a season and has shown he can do well in the bright lights of the playoffs, having hit a World Series grand slam. His Gold Glove in his rookie year is also a testament to his abilities.

Regardless of his potential, this hasn’t been Volpe’s year, and he hasn't provided many reasons for the Yankees to keep him as their primary shortstop. At this juncture, it wouldn’t be too surprising if they didn’t feel comfortable with him at shortstop in the postseason. Volpe is still young and has much to prove, but if he doesn’t make the most of his opportunities this year, he might need to wait until next year to prove himself.