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By Peter Chawaga
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Yankees earned a much needed win against their first-place division rival Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, closing the gap for the American League East lead to three games.
The win eased some of the pressure on the Yankees as a team, but shortstop Anthony Volpe has more reason for concern than ever. He logged another error on defense and has the most of any shortstop in the American League. And he went hitless after being moved to the bottom of the lineup.
"Volpe is 3-for-20 (.150) in his last six games and 12-for-87 (.138) in his last 24," Randy Miller noted for NJ.com. "His batting average is down to .212, a low-water mark since April 23."
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After a Gold Glove rookie season and then a step up at the plate last year, Volpe is having his worst overall season so far this year and patience among the fanbase seems to be running out. Manager Aaron Boone and executive Brian Cashman have both publicly defended Volpe amid the skid, but struggling in the New York spotlight can't be easy.
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Volpe's struggles are becoming so pronounced that rival shortstop Franciso Lindor of the New York Mets offered some commiseration.
"It's got to be tough," Lindor said of Volpe's issues, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "It's got to be very tough to grow in this market. He always has the spotlight."
Lindor, who initially struggled with the Mets following a trade from the Cleveland Guardians, earned an All-Star bid this season and has slashed .245/.313/.431 with a .978 fielding percentage so far this year.
While acknowledging that the pressure of playing in New York can't make it easy for Volpe, Lindor added that he's confident the Yankees' shortstop will figure it out.
"He's a good player," Lindor said, according to Martin. "He's a great defensive shortstop and when you're not hitting well, you can rely on good defense. It's the same thing with me. That's what you focus on."
Unfortunately, Volpe's defense hasn't been much better than his offense. But with the confidence of his manager and front office, he seems to have some time to figure it out, as Lindor once did.
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