Maybe it’s fitting that we got the news about Anthony Rizzo retiring the same week we got the news of Anthony Volpe playing through a partially torn labrum since early May. Rizzo’s career was flatlined by a concussion that the Yankees refused to properly treat, and despite being a Silver Slugger-type hitter at the time of his collision with Fernando Tatis Jr., Rizzo never really recovered.

Volpe went in the MRI tube after a diving attempt on May 3rd against Tampa, an MRI that Aaron Boone publicly said didn’t worry the club. On May 3rd Volpe had a 114 wRC+, and since then he has a 69. Do NOT make a joke.

Tony has always been a streaky hitter, with high peaks — see last year’s World Series — and very deep troughs. We’ve never seen a trough this long before, though. And while Volpe has alwa

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