Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe was recently distressed by a circulating rumor claiming he had refused the team’s request to play second base. The rumor surfaced before Game 3 against the Rays at Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay on Wednesday. Volpe swiftly dismissed these false reports, saying he was “definitely caught off guard” by them.
In his official response to the rumors, Volpe denied any truth to the claims, recalling a prior conversation with skipper Aaron Boone. He mentioned that before being sent to the minors earlier this season, he had said he would play “catcher” if it would help the organization.
“It’s confusing, because it couldn’t be further from the truth. From my end, from our perspective, that’s been very clearly communicated to Boonie and the team… I’d hope my teammates in here, who I’ve played with for three-plus years, I’d hope they know my character and that I’d literally do anything to help the team win. Literally anything. The narrative and what it tries to say about me, I feel like I’m defending myself over something that literally didn’t happen,” Volpe said.
Volpe went 1 for 3 last night against the Rays as the AL East division leaders took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series at home, with the series finale scheduled for Thursday.
What Fueled the Anthony Volpe Rumor Mill?
The storyline gained momentum when Michael Kay, a YES Network broadcaster and ESPN New York radio host, said on Monday’s program that he heard Volpe tell the team, “No, I’m a shortstop,” in response to their request that he train to potentially play second base.
“I had two people tell me, and I heard rumors, and I was wrong. Somebody called me today and said, ‘That’s not right,’ so I made further calls and they said no, that he had never refused to play second base. So I retracted it. I plan to talk to him at some point today or tomorrow and apologize. I feel badly for it. I wouldn’t want to put him in the crosshairs,” Kay said.
Volpe started the season injured, recovering from left shoulder surgery performed last October. After rehab, he played exclusively at shortstop and was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 3 to gain valuable game time ahead of his addition to the 40-man active roster.
A 2023 American League Gold Glove Award winner, Volpe has appeared in all 512 Major League games at shortstop, including last night’s game against the Rays, while his teammate Jose Caballero played second base.
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