New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is in the midst of a significant slump, having gone hitless in his last 30 at-bats. This cold streak follows a strong start to the season where Goldschmidt was batting .301 with a .933 OPS through his first 55 games.
On Tuesday night, Goldschmidt struck out in all four of his plate appearances during the Yankees' 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He acknowledged the difficulty of his current performance, stating, “I wish I had an answer for you. Obviously the performance tonight especially was terrible.” He added that he swung at too many balls and took strikes, and when he did swing at the right pitch, he either fouled it off or missed. Despite the struggles, Goldschmidt expressed a commitment to moving forward, saying, “You got to keep pushing and just be ready to go. Can’t carry over any bad things… to the next day.”
The 38-year-old's recent performance has coincided with a broader downturn for the Yankees. Prior to this nine-game stretch, Goldschmidt’s consistent presence as a right-handed bat was considered valuable, particularly with the team managing absences of key players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
In other Yankees news, manager Aaron Boone described the shortstop situation between José Caballero and Anthony Volpe as a “day-by-day” decision. Caballero started at shortstop for the second consecutive game on Tuesday. Volpe entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and grounded into a fielder’s choice. Outfielder Jasson Domínguez also had a day off, entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh and going 1-for-2. Manager Boone stated he expects more production from Domínguez, while also acknowledging his competitive at-bats.
Pitcher Max Fried is continuing his comeback from a left elbow bone bruise and is scheduled to throw a third live batting practice session on Saturday. If successful, he could begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star break.