Much of the hype coming out of Yankees spring training centered around rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe, who played his way onto the Opening Day roster.
But after about a month into the season, the 22-year-old has not quite lived up to the sky-high expectations.
Volpe is hitting a slash line of just .205/.307/.320 with a .627 OPS and 41 strikeouts. However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone chalks up some of Volpe’s struggles to a matter of bad luck.
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“It’s also important to see Volp the last few days has run into some tough luck,” Boone said on the ‘Talkin’ Yanks’ podcast Tuesday. “[He] hits a ball to the fence to start the game yesterday; smokes another ball that the third baseman makes a really good play on him. Same in Tampa, I think back-to-back days he hit bullets to start the game for outs. Been a little bit of that, then all of sudden when you haven’t got results and you smoke two balls for outs and then you punch out, it’s like ‘oh you’re really struggling.’ I don’t really see it that way.”
Volpe has taken over the leadoff spot in recent weeks, too, but with Judge returning to the lineup on Tuesday and DJ LeMahieu hitting well, Boone did not rule out that Volpe could possibly be moved around in the order.
He did, however, not that it would happen on Tuesday as he was giving LeMahieu the day off.
“It’s definitely a possibility,” Boone said. “As we get longer, as we get more guys back in the mix [moving him in the order] can be in play. I like the consistency in his approach and really the consistency of his at-bats. He’s taken his lumps here and there but I also think it’s going to serve him well, he’ll process it well. I’ve been really pleased with what he’s doing.”
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