Anthony Volpe, the New York Yankees shortstop, has been heavily criticized for his inconsistent performance, which has unleashed a wave of rumors, with a reappearance of a shoulder injury being the most talked about, something that deeply angered Aaron Boone, the team’s manager.
Boone was quick to respond to the rumors in a press conference after the loss to the Blue Jays, making his position and annoyance clear: “She asked about the shoulder incorrectly. It’s not the right one, it’s the left one and that doesn’t affect his fielding at all”. With this response, Aaron sought to stop the narrative that Volpe’s defensive errors could be related to physical problems.
Rumors about Anthony Volpe’s injury: the spark that ignited Boone
The trigger was a question related to possible shoulder pain, derived from images where Volpe was seen icing up after a game. The speculation arose right after a play in the fifth inning against Toronto, where his error ended in a key run.
But Boone, true to his all-out style, was blunt in defending him: “He’s fine physically, he’s playing every day, end of story,” he said. It’s not the first time the manager has reacted that way when he feels criticism of his players crosses a line. In this case, he said there was no injury to justify the errors and that the shortstop will continue to start.
Pressure on Volpe grows in the Bronx, but Boone’s support remains
Volpe leads the American League in errors and his offensive production has also dropped off, hitting just .214 with a .671 OPS, and his recent failures have generated frustration among fans, but Aaron Boone insists that the player’s effort is not in doubt and when a reporter mentioned that he lacked passion, Boone was once again fired up and responded with annoyance.
Anthony has been working hard, it’s not for lack of effort, he’s there every day trying to get better.
On the other hand, the New York Yankees shortstop has publicly taken responsibility: “I make mistakes, but I’m working to correct them, I know what I have to do”. This is in the context of the fans demanding immediate results.
Boone has made it clear that Volpe is not injured and that he has the full support of the team to turn things around. The pressure is on the team to get positive results in a division like the American League East, which remains tight and the battle for a playoff spot is intensifying.
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