Anthony Volpe Forced to Play Through Injury as Aaron Boone Drops Baffling Bombshell

The Yankees have a real issue at shortstop right now. Anthony Volpe, who was once billed as their future franchise cornerstone, just hasn’t lived up to the hype lately. Notably, he went from a Gold Glove defender with 30-homer upside to someone who looks like a liability in the lineup, only occasionally running into a homer. And it doesn’t sound like this storyline is going away anytime soon, especially after Aaron Boone’s latest update.

The manager revealed that Volpe’s ongoing struggles might actually be tied to a shoulder impingement, which could help explain his rough season. And guess what, Volpe’s struggles have been piling up for months, and they’re showing in every part of his game. Reportedly, he leads the AL with 19 errors, most of them coming on throws, something that could very well be linked to his shoulder issues! And Boone has a say over this.

“Anthony Volpe has been playing through a partial labrum tear. When the injury was initially MRI’ed in May, the Yankees believed it was an old injury he could play through. He has reaggravated it a few times this year, most recently this past weekend,” MLB insider Bryan Hoch cited Boone.

Now, this kind of injury can go south quickly. And at this point, it feels like Volpe may need surgery once the season wraps up. However, considering Boone’s strong backing of Volpe, he is going to keep running Volpe out there as long as his shoulder holds up.

The problem is, all it takes is one awkward dive or swing for a partial tear to become a season-ending injury. Hence, the Yankees are definitely playing with fire here. And it feels like just a matter of time before it backfires. Now, what’s next?

Well, Volpe is taking a riskier way. Reportedly, he got a cortisone shot in his left shoulder on Wednesday after grinding through a small labrum tear for over four months. And it’s actually the second time this season he’s had to get one. The team revealed he also received a shot during the All-Star break. So, the Yankees are playing with fire when it comes to his injury. Has that been a reason for his poor outings recently?

Volpe is becoming a major concern for the Yankees

Anthony Volpe’s sitting at a .206 average, .268 OBP, a .661 OPS with 19 HRs and 16 steals. The production is underwhelming, no doubt, and the shoulder looks like it’s been holding him back. But honestly, those numbers aren’t that far off from what he’s put up before. So when Boone says Volpe can tough it out, it doesn’t sound like spin.

However, even though Boone has stood by Anthony Volpe since Opening Day, it looks like the manager might finally be rethinking his approach. Reportedly, in their second game against the Tigers, the Yankees skipper gave Jose Caballero the nod at shortstop instead of Volpe. And Caballero, their trade deadline pickup, has been solid so far in pinstripes. He’s hitting .239/.345/.413 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs over 27 games.

So, with time running out for the Yankees to get things on track, making moves like this feels like a no-brainer. And now, with Volpe’s injury coming to light, a short stint in Triple-A could actually help. It could offer him a chance to reset and escape the nonstop negative spotlight for a while.