NEW YORK (AP) — It was a painful landing for Anthony Volpe, who grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand and pushed his sunglasses-covered face into the outfield grass as his cap tumbled off.
“I never really had anything else pop or dislocate or anything like that, so nothing to compare it to,” the New York Yankees shortstop said.
Volpe remained in the game after his unsuccessful attempt for a backhand stab on Christopher Morel's eighth-inning single, which sparked a two-run rally in Tampa Bay's 3-2 win Saturday. An X-ray after the game was negative, but Volpe wasn't sure whether he will have an MRI or other tests.
“I've never really been in this situation, so it’s just scary,” he said. “But it feels good, and all the movements and everything feel good, but just a weird feeling.”
Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham kneeled next to Volpe, and manager Aaron Boone and Oswaldo Cabrera stood as head athletic trainer Tim Lentych checked on the Gold Glove-winning shortstop. Lentych pressed on the shoulder and arm, then helped Volpe to his feet. About three minutes after Volpe went down, the Yankees agreed to let him keep playing.
“Once he kind of got up and moving around, he kind of felt fine," Boone said. “Then we wanted to make sure strength-wise he was in a good position and felt like he was.”
Volpe, who turned 24 on Monday, is hitting .233 with five homers, 19 RBIs and four stolen bases in his third season with the Yankees. New York already is missing second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (strained right oblique), third baseman DJ LeMahieu (strained left calf), ace Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) and right-hander Luis Gil (right lat strain), the reigning AL Rookie of the Year.
“I felt just something sharp and something like right on the spot but then after that, it felt OK,” Volpe said. “Felt good after the testing because you feel like you can trust it but right away you don’t really know.”
New York led 2-1 entering the eighth behind Judge's 11th home run and Austin Wells' sixth.
Pinch-runner Chandler Simpson stole second when play resumed. Brandon Lowe walked against Mark Leiter Jr., and the Rays pulled off a double steal, giving them six stolen bases in the game.
Junior Caminero struck out and Curtis Mead singled to left, driving in the tying run. José Caballero followed with a grounder up the middle that Volpe bobbled as he rushed to try for an inning-ending double play. Lowe scored the go-ahead run.
"Trying to make the play before — turn two before I secured the ball," Volpe said.
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