The New York Yankees have dropped struggling shortstop Anthony Volpe in a desperate bid to avoid being swept at home by fierce rivals Boston Red Sox.
Volpe has endured an alarming downturn in form with a string of errors in the field alongside a dry spell at the plate.
During Saturday’s emphatic 12-1 loss to the Sox at Yankee Stadium, Volpe committed his major league-leading 17th error on a miserable afternoon in the Bronx.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has continued to passionately defend Volpe in the face of growing and intensifying criticism across the last few weeks but even he has now seen enough.
Volpe was dropped in favor of Jose Caballero at short stop for Sunday night’s game – a move Yankees fans supported but still found surprising, given Boone’s support of Volpe.
When the team was announced Sunday, one fan responded: ‘He (Boone) did it, he really placed Volpe exactly where he should be.’
Anthony Volpe has been dropped by Aaron Boone for Yankees vs Red Sox on Sunday night
Another wrote: ‘FINALLY VOLPE OUT OF THE LINEUP’.
But a different fan had a bit more of a cynical view, saying: ‘Everyone being happy to Volpe not starting just for him to be back in the starting lineup tomorrow.’
Volpe’s struggles and the impact it has had on his confidence cannot be denied but he is not the only player needing to improve, quickly, if hopes of the postseason are to remain alive.
Aaron Judge has not yet been able to recapture his explosive best since returning the lineup as designated hitter following an elbow strain.
Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm have also gone cold at the plate, with errors also creeping into Chisholm’s performances at second base.
The Yankees headed into the four-game series having won five straight but the Red Sox have brought them crashing back to earth.
They are now two wins ahead of the Yankees with a 71-59 record going into Sunday’s game.