Anthony Volpe was moved to the ninth spot in the Yankees’ lineup Saturday, the first time he’d been at the bottom of the order since April 15.
Manager Aaron Boone said the slide was not due to the rookie’s recent downturn at the plate, even though Volpe entered in a 2-for-23 slump with a double, a walk and 10 strikeouts.
He then went hitless again in the Yankees’ 3-2, 10-inning win over the Padres.
Despite the struggles, Boone said he hasn’t sensed any frustration from Volpe.
“I have not seen it,’’ Boone said. “He’s super competitive and he’s been the same rock-solid person through great moments, great plays [and] great times [and] through stretches for a few games when he’s struggled to get some hits.”
It’s that mentality, Boone said, that played a role in the Yankees’ decision to go with the 22-year-old at such an important position.
“When we made the commitment to him, that’s what we expected,’’ Boone said of Volpe’s attitude. “We knew there may be some ups and downs, inevitably. But we were really confident in the person to be able to deal with all that and make the adjustments.”
It’s why Boone said he didn’t feel the need to have a conversation with Volpe about moving him down in the lineup and the manager reiterated he looks at the No. 9 spot as a lead-in to the top of the lineup and he was eyeing different pinch-hit spots earlier in the lineup.
“It has less to do with this stretch where he hasn’t gotten a lot of hits,” Boone said.
And although Volpe is now hitting .197, Boone isn’t alarmed.
“The bottom line is he’s been a winning player for us a couple months [into the season], no matter what the average says,’’ Boone said. “I’m not worried about Anthony’s confidence.”
Carlos Rodon said he expects to throw at least two bullpen sessions next week, when he plans on going on the road with the Yankees as he hopes to get closer to his season debut.
The left-hander, sidelined since March after suffering a strained elbow and then back discomfort, said there’s a “rough schedule” of when he could join the rotation and it depends not just on how he’s feeling, but how the Yankees want him to build up his workload.
“It’s a little further down the road, but it’s not out of sight, which is nice,’’ Rodon said.
He added his back feels good and he doesn’t think he’ll need another cortisone shot.
“Just proactive maintenance and staying on top of it,’’ Rodon said. “It was never a major back problem. It wasn’t significant where it was gonna be an extended period of not throwing.”
Since a scan of Giancarlo Stanton’s strained left hamstring showed it hasn’t fully healed, he’s still not sure when or if he’ll have a minor league rehab assignment.
He also couldn’t guarantee he would be back for the Yankees’ series at the Dodgers next week.
But the DH/outfielder, out since April, said he is feeling good.
Left-hander Matt Krook was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game.
He took the roster spot of righty Randy Vasquez, who was optioned after his MLB debut Friday, in which he gave up two runs in 4 ²/₃ innings.
Boone called the 28-year-old Krook, who didn’t pitch Saturday, “hard to hit, especially for lefties.”
It’s one of the reasons the Yankees put him on the 40-man roster in the offseason.
