Anthony Volpe is out of the lineup for a two-day mental reset while José Caballero starts at shortstop. Manager Aaron Boone affirmed that Volpe remains the Yankees' shortstop and will return to regular duty the following day. Caballero will serve as a utility "10th man" and will continue to be moved around the diamond. Volpe is hitting .208/.274/.400 in 509 plate appearances, with a marked decline since May and an acute slump since July 1 (.171/.203). Volpe's prior value combined power with elite defensive metrics, including a 2023 Gold Glove and strong DRS and OAA marks.
Anthony Volpe is out of the lineup as the Yankees open their series against the Nationals. It's the second straight game in which José Caballero gets the start at shortstop. New York is giving the scuffling Volpe what amounts to a two-day mental reset. However, manager Aaron Boone made clear this evening that the Yankees aren't moving the third-year infielder to the bench. "I view Anthony as our shortstop," Boone told reporters (including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).
The skipper confirmed that Volpe would be back in the lineup tomorrow and continue playing regularly from that point. He added that the Yanks consider Caballero their "10th man" and will keep bouncing him around the diamond in a utility role (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Volpe is hitting .208/.274/.400 across 509 plate appearances. He had a productive April but carries a .198/.255/.382 batting line in 96 games since the beginning of May.
Volpe has never hit for a high average or reached base at a strong clip. He's tied with Dansby Swanson for eighth among shortstops with 18 home runs, but he hasn't been a productive overall hitter. The struggles have magnified over the past six weeks, as he's batting .171 with a .203 on-base percentage going back to July 1. Among 253 hitters with at least 100 plate appearances in that stretch, only Miami's has a lower batting average. No one has a worse on-base mark.
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