SEATTLE – With the Yankees having off on Monday, Anthony Volpe got an extra day of rest on Tuesday.
The Gold Glover did not start the Yankees’ series-opener against the Mariners. Instead, Oswaldo Cabrera made his second start at shortstop since Sept. 9 and just his third of the year.
Aaron Boone said that he wanted to have a left-heavy lineup with the Yankees facing a dominant righty in Bryan Woo. He also wanted to keep Cabrera involved, as the super utilityman is hitting .308/.368/.462 since July 6 despite inconsistent playing time.
“He’s played such an important role for us, especially over the last month or so,” Boone said. “So I think it’s valuable to get him in there.”
The manager also noted the chance to get Volpe, 23, an extra day of rest after the off day.
“I don’t know,” Boone said when asked if he felt Volpe needed a breather. “I feel like physically, for as much as he has played, obviously at such a demanding position, he’s very much held up. Mentally, he’s one of the handful of guys I don’t worry about handling whatever is going on in the season, ups and downs and things like that. And obviously how important he is to our defense in the middle of the diamond. But I feel like there’s always some benefits this time of year in getting a day off your feet, especially coming out of an off day, but coupled with the fact that Oswaldo’s played really well.”
Volpe, a talented defender, has logged more innings (1,323.2) than any shortstop this season. He ranked fourth at his position in Outs Above Average (15), Fielding Run Value (11) and Defensive Runs Above Average (15.6) entering Tuesday. His 3.4 fWAR also has a lot to do with his defensive prowess.
However, Volpe has remained an offensive disappointment in his second season.
He was slashing just .246/.294/.369 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI over a team-high 149 games before Tuesday’s contest. While his speed helps — he had 26 stolen bases — his 87 wRC+ ranked 20th out of 22 qualified shortstops.
Volpe has been even worse lately, hitting .163/.177/.163 over 24 games since September began and .196/.243/.241 with zero homers over 37 games since August 7.
Before that, Volpe hit .359/.369/.656 with five dingers in 15 games following the All-Star break, but low peaks and deep valleys have been a staple throughout his short career.
“I’m confident he’ll work through it,” Boone said. “He’s been clearly up and down from that standpoint throughout the season. He made some obviously noticeable adjustments over the winter and into the season that’s had some good results, but he’s had some struggles with it too.”
Boone was referring to Volpe’s wintertime decision to flatten his bat path, a tweak that was supposed to help him make more contact. However, he hasn’t been a power threat — aside from that stretch after the Midsummer Classic — after joining the 20/20 club as a rookie last year. He hasn’t been much of threat at all for a large chunk of the season.
After the first 308 games and 1,250 plate appearances of his career, Volpe is a .229/.289/.376 hitter with an 85 wRC+. That’s not the hitter the Yankees thought they were getting when Volpe won the starting shortstop job two spring trainings ago, but Boone has been steadfast in his belief that the youngster can become an impact bat.
“I do feel like he’s on his way to being a complete product, whenever that is, as an offensive player,” Boone said, “but I feel like he can work through this and hopefully get on a good note going into what we hope is October baseball and beyond.”
CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
After not making the playoffs last year, the Yankees plan on celebrating when they clinch a playoff spot and if they win the American League East. The team can secure the former with two wins in Seattle, but Boone didn’t want to look ahead.
“Blinders on,” he said. “We understand we’re not even close to where we want to be yet. The job’s not complete.”
STROMAN STAYING IN THE PEN
Boone said that Marcus Stroman, recently skipped in the Yankees’ rotation, will remain in the bullpen for now. Boone added that Stroman may need to throw a side session soon if he doesn’t get in a game, as he had not made an appearance since Sept. 10 entering Tuesday.
