New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has struggled immensely this season. However, a shoulder impingement could be a main factor for his struggles.
Volpe has played through shoulder discomfort for a vast majority of the season, and now on Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported that Volpe has received a cortisone injection in his shoulder.
Manager Aaron Boone is insistent that the shoulder issue has nothing to do with Volpe’s poor performance this season. “I don’t think so, but I guess I shouldn’t rule it out,” Boone said, per Hoch.
Volpe has been really struggling in all aspects of the game for several months now. He leads the American League in errors with 19, many of those being throwing errors with Volpe seemingly struggling to get the ball to first base — potentially due to his shoulder. Additionally, he is slashing a measly .206/.268/.393 with 19 home runs and 70 RBIs. In his last 30 games, Volpe is slashing .146/.183/.262 with 2 home runs, 10 RBIs and 34 strikeouts. Volpe is also three for his last 24, and has struck out in 12 of those 24 at-bats.
The Yankees desperately need Volpe to find something, and fast. The Yankees remain 3.0 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for first-place in the AL East, and are marred in a heated Wild Card battle. As of Thursday, the Yankees hold the first Wild Card spot in the AL.