Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds marked the New York Yankees’ third consecutive defeat and cost them the series at Yankee Stadium. However, the result was overshadowed by a contentious sequence in the third inning that renewed questions about MLB’s obstruction rule and left Anthony Volpe frustrated after the game.

“I just had nowhere to go,” the Yankees shortstop told reporters. “In Spring Training, for me as a shortstop receiving throws, we’re trying to be spot on with that rule. That’s not coming from us; that’s coming from the league. They tell us that’s a rule.

“He told me he didn’t want to watch the replay on the screen,” Volpe added of first-base umpire Brian O’Nora. “He said the throw took him there. It’s up to him.”

At the bottom of the third inning, Volpe drew a leadoff walk against Reds starter Chase Burns. Moments later, Burns caught him leaning off first base with a pickoff move. O’Nora initially ruled Volpe safe, but Cincinnati successfully challenged the call, and the out was overturned.

Volpe immediately argued that Reds first baseman Sal Stewart had blocked his path back to the bag before receiving the throw.

The play proved especially costly when Ben Rice launched his 22nd home run of the season in the very next at-bat. With the game scoreless at the time, Volpe believed the overturned call effectively took a run off the board.

“It’s a huge play in the game,” Volpe said. “It took a run off the board.”

According to MLB Rule 6.01(h), a fielder cannot impede a runner’s path to a base while not in possession of the ball. However, an exception exists if the fielder is moved into the runner’s lane by the momentum of an incoming throw while attempting to field it.

That’s why the 1B umpire refuses to take a second look at the giant screen video. He said that the momentum of the ball naturally put the fielder in Anthony Volpe’s path. 

However, the 25-year-old infielder argued that they practiced not to block the runner’s path. 

And the fact that Rice hit a homer just after Volpe was out adds salt to the burn. Both teams were scoreless before the play, and had Volpe remained on the base, it would have earned them a 2-0 lead instead of just one run. 

And such controversies are new in the major league

In fact, the Reds’ own shortstop, Elly Antonio De La Cruz, faced something similar about a month ago. During their May 4 game against the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati SS fell prey to a smart ploy by the Cubs pitcher and infielder. The camera from above showed the fielder standing almost between the base and De La Cruz during the play. And the same accusation of blocking the runner’s path had arisen. 

“I think the league sends videos of plays that are in violation of that rule. It’s just something that when we can control it, we try to take care of that,” Volpe added in the hope that MLB would take note of such confusion. 

Why the Yankee believed the ruling conflicted with MLB’s own emphasis

“Obviously, you don’t want to mess up your shoulder or mess up something siding back in the first,” Anthony Volpe stated in the postgame interview. 

He, or any runner for that matter, has to try to make it back to the bag while avoiding a touch from the fielder. Sliding safely to the base is a challenge on its own, and we have seen several players getting injured in the process. 

The New York Mets SS Ronny Mauricio suffered an injury to his finger while sliding to first base with his hands stretched in front of him. Javier Báez from the Detroit Tigers had it worse as he was carted away after an ankle sprain. And the Cleveland Guardians’ 3B José Ramírez jammed his left shoulder while sliding to third base. 

All of these are from 2026 only. And the list has grown over the years. That’s why the Yankees manager sympathized with Volpe. 

“By the letter of the law, he’s blocking the base,” Aaron Boone said. “Are you really gonna get that call very often? Probably not.”

Boone acknowledged that Burns possesses one of the league’s best pickoff moves, but noted that the Reds right-hander is also slow to the plate, something the Yankees otherwise exploited throughout the afternoon.

New York stole six bases against Burns and Cincinnati’s bullpen, its highest single-game total since 2013. Cody Bellinger, Jasson Domínguez, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each swiped two bags, though José Caballero was thrown out after oversliding second base in the second inning.

Despite their aggressiveness on the bases, the Yankees struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities. They finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and went just 2-for-32 in the three-game series. By the sixth inning, they had gone hitless in 24 consecutive at-bats with runners in scoring position dating back to Friday night’s game.

“Oof,” Boone said when informed of the statistic. “I’ll take the opportunities. We’ll cash in. Even these last two days where they’ve held us down, I feel like we’ve had good at-bats and given ourselves opportunities. We just haven’t had that hit.”

Austin Wells echoed that sentiment.

“The ball just didn’t really roll the way we needed it to in those certain situations,” Wells said. “Up and down, I felt like we had good at-bats. They got through it today.”

Defensive lapses compounded the Yankees’ offensive struggles late in the game. In the eighth inning, a misplay involving Jazz Chisholm Jr., Volpe and Caballero allowed Spencer Steer to advance to third base, before Noelvi Marte’s run-scoring double down the right-field line extended Cincinnati’s lead to 4-1.

The Yankees remain atop the AL East at 46-30, holding a two-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays despite dropping the series to a Reds team that entered Sunday in last place in the National League Central.

Volpe, meanwhile, entered the game batting .258 over his previous 28 contests.

As the Yankees head to Detroit looking to halt their three-game skid, Volpe hopes the conversation sparked by Sunday’s controversial call leads to greater clarity around one of baseball’s most debated rules.

“As an infielder, you’ve got to be locked in on that rule,” Volpe said.