As Aaron Boone provided his most revealing solutions so far on Anthony Volpe’s aching left shoulder, he additionally declined accountable the damage for the shortstop’s struggles this season.
Boone, as lately as Wednesday, and Volpe have repeatedly dismissed questions in regards to the 24-year-old’s well being since, even with the participant routinely carrying massive ice wraps on his shoulder after video games.
On Thursday, nonetheless, the New York Submit reported that Volpe acquired a cortisone shot on Wednesday after reaggravating his shoulder damage on a dive this previous Sunday. Boone confirmed that, whereas the Yankees added that Volpe additionally acquired a cortisone shot in the course of the All-Star break.
When Anthony Volpe’s shoulder got here up in Aaron Boone’s postgame scrum in Toronto on July 21 (just some days after the All-Star break) Aaron Boone was requested if the shortstop is “okay physically.”
He replied, “Yep.”
Volpe was requested if he was wholesome that very same night time, and he stated… https://t.co/unylYDz9ni
These disclosures include Volpe within the midst of an terrible season, as he entered Friday’s series-opener in Boston with a .661 OPS and an 81 wRC+. He had a .454 OPS over his final 32 video games and a .621 OPS since Might 3.
Volpe has additionally regressed within the subject, as his 19 errors had been tied for the second-most within the majors. His -9 Outs Above Common ranked twenty second amongst 23 certified shortstops.
Nevertheless, Boone declined to attach any dots between Volpe’s manufacturing and the shoulder damage he has been taking part in via for months.
“Not much,” the supervisor stated when requested how a lot of an element Anthony Volpe’s lingering shoulder damage has been. “I really feel like he’s been in a great place bodily. I believe all people offers with sure issues, so it’s not possible to say this affected one thing this a lot or didn’t in any respect. How are you going to presumably know that?
“But I don’t think it’s been a major factor in his performance, or his ability to swing the bat, or his ability to go to the post every day. That’s my sense.”
It was a notable response from Boone — who additionally stated Volpe’s latest benching wasn’t associated to the shoulder reaggravation — as he has repeatedly defended and excused the shortstop during the last three seasons.
That’s not to say Boone must be utilizing this damage as an excuse, as Volpe’s woes predate his dive on Might 3.
Whereas Volpe had a .786 OPS over 32 video games previous to that this yr, he entered Friday with a .221 common, a .282 on-base proportion, a .379 slugging proportion, a .661 OPS and an 84 wRC+ over 1,846 plate appearances for his profession, which has been suffering from peaks and valley and quite a few modifications in method on the plate.
Of the 95 gamers with no less than 1,500 plate appearances since Volpe’s debut in 2023, he ranks final or second-to-last in every of these classes, apart from slugging. In that case, Volpe ranks 91st.
Volpe’s bat velocity can also be a career-high 72.6 mph regardless of his injured entrance shoulder, as is his 82-mph common throwing velocity — he’s a righty — so his energy doesn’t seem like compromised. Volpe’s shoulder isn’t accountable for his shoddy footwork within the subject or frequent failure to cost groundballs, both.
With the infielder anticipated to keep away from the injured checklist for now — he stated it’ll “be nice to feel good” following his newest shot — Volpe additionally shied away from attributing his efficiency to his shoulder.
“It’s hard to say,” Volpe stated when requested if he’s been restricted by his damage after sitting in favor of José Caballero on Wednesday and Thursday. “As a competitor, I want to be out there every day. We put in so much work to make myself mentally and physically ready to go, so I’ll never accept that.”
Initially Printed: September 12, 2025 at 10:25 AM EDT
