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Aaron Boone, the manager of the New York Yankees, had his first opportunity to watch Anthony Volpe play live at Steinbrenner Field on Monday night. However, on Sunday, when Volpe played in a split-squad game in Dunedin, Florida, and Boone was managing a game in Tampa at the same time, the rave reviews of the Yankees’ top prospect made their way back to the manager. Boone received feedback from even veteran players impressed with Volpe’s game on Sunday.
Despite the positive results, Boone was excited about Volpe’s energy, intensity, effort, and the little things that he does that caught his attention. Volpe is competing with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswald Peraza for the starting shortstop job, but in Monday’s game against the Tigers, he started at second base and threw a runner out at the plate while grounding into a pair of double plays in his two at-bats.
Boone plans to get each of the shortstop’s games at other positions to increase their versatility, and Volpe spent some time training at second base this offseason. Boone also plans to get Volpe in at third later this week, although infield coach Travis Chapman is confident about Volpe at second base, and he has done all the reps.
Luis Severino made his Grapefruit League debut on Monday and threw 45 pitches across two-plus innings. Facing a Tigers lineup that featured seven expected starters, Severino allowed four runs on three hits, including a two-run homer by Eric Haase, and a walk while striking out one.
Although Severino averaged 96 mph on his fastball and touched 98, he was not pleased with his slider, stating that it was terrible and he needed to work on it more. He plans to work on the shape of his slider and get it to the corners.
On Wednesday afternoon against the Nationals at Steinbrenner Field, DJ LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton, and Anthony Rizzo are scheduled to make their Grapefruit League debuts. Boone stated that LeMahieu should be pretty full go this spring after spending the offseason resting and rehabbing the broken bone in his right foot that cost him the end of last season.
»Veteran players are impressed with Volpe’s game on Sunday«
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