Yankees' Anthony Volpe: ‘It might sound crazy, but I feel good' despite struggles

New York Times

8 hours ago

NEW YORK — After most games, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe can be found with a big ice pack wrapped around his his left shoulder. It's been that way since May 3, when he hurt it diving for a grounder in the hole. Though he said at the time he 'felt a pop' in the joint on the play, an MRI after didn't raise any red flags for the Yankees, and after sitting out one game on May 4, he's played in every game since.
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'It's fine,' Volpe told The Athletic before the Yankees faced the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, adding that he didn't think it had been affecting him on the field.
Manager Aaron Boone also said the Yankees haven't had reason to believe it's been a problem for the 24-year-old.
In fact, Volpe said on Sunday that he felt he was trending toward a good spot offensively with all the work he's done on his swing and approach, despite some less-than-appealing production.
'Listen,' he said, 'I mean, I know it might sound crazy, but I feel good. We're obviously working on stuff. Just getting into a place I feel like I need to be. But I'm confident we're getting toward that.
'I answer this question with respect and everything like that, but I feel like I'm really confident every time I step up to the plate. That's what makes it frustrating at the same time. It's just the balancing act.'
Volpe entered Sunday hitting .222 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .703 OPS in 88 games. He had a 97 wRC+, a statistic that attempts to measure runs created against league average (100). It was the 17th-best among qualified shortstops in the game.
Volpe has had a particularly tough time of late. His last multi-hit game was a three-hit day against the Orioles on June 21. Since then, he's hit .136 with a home run, six RBIs and a .523 OPS in 13 games (52 plate appearances).
That late June game was also the last time he'd hit a homer until he went deep in Saturday's 12-6 loss to the Mets. In the same game, Volpe also crushed a 101.8-mph line out, struck out twice, and accidentally hit Aaron Judge on the right side of the face with the baseball while throwing it around between innings. The mistake left Judge bleeding, and after the game, he wore a small bandage and had redness and swelling near his eye.
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Volpe said he's been working with coaches on 'getting ready earlier and on time without getting jumpy or getting quick.'
'Just finding ways to be early without jumping at the ball,' he said. 'I think everything with hitting is contradicting. So it's like getting to a spot while staying back. Getting ready while staying back.
'It's just what I'm working on right now. Over the course of the season, you have your notes and stuff that you write down because these things happen every season that I've been a part of. So you just learn. You're just constantly learning and finding out ways. I think that's what makes you better. … So I'm excited for everything to come.'
He said it was 'a balance' to deal with feeling good about his approach but also not getting results.
'When you barrel up a ball,' he said, 'you could barrel it up right at someone. You're frustrated because you're not getting on base and you're not helping your team. At the same time, you know you beat the pitcher.'
Volpe has also had a tougher time defensively this season than he had in his first two years in the league. Going into Sunday, he had 11 errors — the second-most among shortstops in baseball and the most in the American League. His two Defensive Runs Saved was the 11th-best mark among qualified MLB shortstops.
Volpe said he expects to break his funk sooner than later.
'Honestly,' he said, 'I feel like I'm on the back end of it all. I feel really good and like I'm coming out of it.'