Anthony Volpe injury: Yankees shortstop playing through partial labrum tear, not expected to need IL stint
The struggling shortstop may undergo an MRI after the season, manager Aaron Boone said Thursday
•
2 min read
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been playing with a partially torn labrum, manager Aaron Boone confirmed to reporters (via MLB.com) ahead of Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers.
Boone added that the Yankees believe the injury is an old one that he's since reaggravated on occasion -- and that he received a cortisone injection to treat during the All-Star break -- but that he would likely not require a stint on the injured list. Additionally, Volpe may undergo an MRI after the season is over to provide the Yankees with updated imaging on his shoulder's condition.
"I feel like he's been in a good spot physically," Boone said Thursday (via The Athletic) when asked if he thinks Volpe's shoulder injury has impacted his play. "I think everybody deals with certain things, so it's impossible to say like this affected something this much or didn't at all. I don't how can you possibly know that, but I don't think it's been a major factor in his performance, or his ability to swing the bat, or his ability to go to the post every day. That's my sense."
Volpe, 24, has been mired in a down stretch of play dating back several months. He started the season hot, with his success at the time being credited to his employment of the torpedo bat. Yet his seasonal OPS has dropped from .723 coming into July to .661 as of Thursday. He's hit just .173/.202/.365 with 10 home runs and seven stolen bases in his last 58 games.
On the year, Volpe is now hitting .206/.268/.393 (82 OPS+) with 19 home runs and 16 stolen bases. His contributions have been worth an estimated 1.3 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference's calculations.
Despite the shoulder problems, Volpe has been a fixture in New York's lineup. He's started at shortstop in 137 of the Yankees' first 145 games. Half of Volpe's eight non-starts have come since August 24, however, with deadline addition José Caballero getting the nod on those occasions, including Thursday night.
"It's pretty raw," Volpe told reporters last month after being held out of the lineup for consecutive days. "As a competitor and someone who takes pride being out there every day, you take it on the chin and look at the positives. … It's all on me."
The Yankees, who are tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for Major League Baseball's best record over their last 30 games, enter Thursday's contest with sour vibes. The last two games have seen their bullpen surrender at least nine runs apiece for the first time in franchise history.
