Anthony Volpe entered Saturday in an 0-for-24 slide.
Volpe was within the lineup Saturday, batting seventh, to face O’s starter Zach Eflin.
“I know I wanted to get DJ [LeMahieu] down today after the [night] game,” Boone mentioned Saturday, explaining why he was focusing on Sunday for Volpe’s time off.
“I like DJ in there against [Dean] Kramer tomorrow, and I like Volp’ against Eflin. It doesn’t always work perfect when you’d like to, but that’s just kind of my thinking.”
Volpe went into Saturday afternoon’s recreation within the Bronx with six hits in 18 at-bats (.333) towards the right-handed Eflin in his profession.
However the 23-year-old Volpe was hitless in his earlier six video games, dropping his season common to .228. Through the 0-for-24 stretch, Volpe had swung at 45% of pitches exterior of the strike zone, in comparison with 22% over his first 68 video games, in accordance with Statcast.
Boone believes the infielder’s “timing” has been off.
“As hitters, you want to get into position on time or early. Make your move. That’s when you fire at good pitches,” Boone mentioned.
“I think that has been off, and therefore he’s expanded [the strike zone] because he’s not in a good position to hit consistently. He’s had some weaker swings on pitches just because he’s not completing his move, gets a little stuck.”
Volpe entered Saturday with 40 RBI, which had been tied for the fifth most amongst MLB shortstops. He was on tempo for 17 house runs, and his .711 OPS represented a profession excessive.
Aaron Decide mentioned the very best factor for Volpe to do is “keep going.”
“I think he knows what he needs to work on, and he’s a guy that will definitely outwork anyone in this room,” Decide mentioned after Friday’s recreation.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him, just like everybody else in this room. Just go out there and keep doing your thing. That’s the biggest thing. Don’t feel bad for yourself, because nobody else — especially the Orioles, don’t feel bad for you. So just go out there and keep doing your thing.”
Boone didn’t sense that Volpe had gotten down on himself in the course of the tough patch.
“Somebody asked me, ‘Is he pressing?’ I don’t think that’s the case,” Boone mentioned Saturday.
“I think it’s as simple as just [being] a little off timing-wise, therefore not as good of swings coming out. And I feel that’s more the last three or four days as opposed to the first part of [the hitless streak]. The first three or four days in that, I felt like he was fine.”
