Volpe’s Continued Struggles in Yankees’ Loss to Red Sox

Anthony Volpe’s challenging season reached a new low following a 1-0 defeat against the Red Sox on Friday night.

The shortstop went hitless once again, extending his slump to 25 at-bats without a hit. To make matters worse, he faced boos from the crowd after recording his eighth strikeout and then made a lapse in judgment while fielding.

In a tense moment during the ninth inning, Volpe’s mishandling allowed Jarren Duran to advance to second base. After a grounder hit by Ceddanne Rafaela, instead of making the straightforward throw to first, Volpe opted for a risky throw to second, aiming for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who was behind Duran.

Unfortunately for Volpe, Duran was safe, and Rafaela reached first due to the fielder’s choice. This marked Volpe’s 16th error of the season—the highest in the league.

Aaron Boone attempted to defend his player, acknowledging that “it was clearly not the right play,” but suggesting it had its strategic rationale. He noted a “gap” existed between Duran and Chisholm. Still, Boone recognized that, in that critical moment, a mistake like that simply can’t happen.

Despite the setback, Volpe tried to contribute late in the game, even managing to make contact to help advance Duran. However, the slump has been hard to ignore.

With 10 strikeouts in his last 25 at-bats, Volpe’s performance has drawn significant criticism. His poor showing against Garrett Whitlock on the second out of the eighth inning resulted in noticeable boos from the crowd.

Boone commented on Volpe’s recent performance, saying, “He wasn’t really connecting well last week. He missed a few pitches lately and had a confusing swing. We need him to bounce back offensively.”

It’s worth noting that only six players in the league have had a worse OPS than Volpe’s .680 since June 12, and his .171 batting average ranks him at the bottom among 162 eligible batters during the same timeframe.

Coach James Rowson mentioned before the game that Volpe’s situation at the plate wasn’t as dire as his numbers indicated. “He hasn’t had a substantial number of at-bats lately, so we do see fluctuations. However, that doesn’t only relate to outcomes,” Rowson explained. The hits haven’t been many, but Volpe’s early-season form wasn’t wildly different, perhaps pointing to erratic luck rather than a total collapse.

Rowson argued that Volpe’s current .167 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) since August 2 is much lower than his career mark of .272 and the .241 this season, indicating a streak of bad luck.

As for Aaron Judge, Boone confirmed there were no updates on when he might be back in the outfield while he deals with right flexor strain issues, limiting him to designated hitter duties.

Jonathan Loáisiga is scheduled to meet Dr. Keith Meister about potential elbow surgery. This season, Loáisiga has participated in 30 games but was sidelined due to back tension before suffering the elbow injury.

Fernando Cruz, in his rehab stint with Double-A Somerset, conceded one run in 1¹/₃ innings of work.

Boone reflected on strategic decisions, expressing that he considered a pinch-hit scenario for Trent Grisham in the ninth but ultimately opted against it. With Grisham currently struggling—hitting 0-3 with three strikeouts—Boone believed better opportunities might lie elsewhere.

Austin Wells, also struggling at the plate recently, has seen his playing time dwindle due to the emergence of Ben Rice. Boone noted Rice’s performance warranted more opportunities. Wells had previously excelled against the Rays but has struggled since then.

Boone remained hopeful for Wells to regain his offensive momentum.

Austin Slater began baseball activities, practicing in the outfield, though Boone didn’t provide a timeline for his return from a left hamstring issue.