New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone drew the ire of fans after he ignored Anthony Volpe's defensive struggles and send him down to the minors. Volpe has committed 18 errors this season, which is second only to Elly De La Cruz (20) in the majors.In his latest conversation with The Athletic before Thursday's game against the White Sox, Boone shrugged off rumors that the organization is sending Volpe for a AAA stint to address his offensive and defensive struggles.“First of all, he’s a more productive offensive player than he gets credit for,” Boone said. “We just hammer the struggles, because, on some level, there were people who anointed him and expected so much. Even though he hasn’t come close to realizing what we expect and what he expects offensively - and acknowledging a few weeks this year where he struggled even defensively - he’s still a frontline defensive player at a premium position that is offensively somewhat productive.“Now, obviously, he’s had a 10-day stretch here where he’s gone from over a .700 OPS four months into the year to below. We want to send that guy down? What planet does that guy get sent down that’s a shortstop? I don’t know that planet.”Chris Kirschner shared this quote on social media, and fans can't believe what Boone said."Actually f**king retarded. I can’t even make fun of Boone anymore because it’s clearly mental retardation," one fan ripped into the Yankees manager.Another spoke against the double standard, bringing up Alvarez’s turnaround after his demotion:"Francisco Alvarez was hitting .197 with a .585 OPS in his 22 games before being sent down. Volpe is hitting .127 with a .396 OPS in his last 22 games, and leads the AL in errors. If Alvarez can get sent down, why can’t Volpe? By the way, Alvarez stats when he returned before getting injured: .323 BA and a 1.054 OPS."Some fans argue the Yankees' refusal to demote Volpe reeks of favoritism and organizational arrogance. A fan wrote:"Too much emotion involved. Every player in the organization has the BENEFIT of moving up and down to work on their game. If Jones is hot, call him up. If Volpe is cold, send him down and call Lombard Jr up. It’s not rocket science. The @Yankees need to utilize the @swbrailriders."Others went after Boone directly, mocking his comments about "what planet" would send Volpe down. The fan wrote:"What planet does a guy like me get to manage the New York Yankees for this long?""on the same planet that he makes good managerial decisions?" one fan completed the answer.Meanwhile, one user questioned Boone’s sanity altogether:"Boone belongs in a psyche ward. Totally delusional. They have got to stop defending and protecting him. Do what's right on planet earth. It would be beneficial sending him down. No lie. Stop fearing this important decision. Caballero can hold his own at SS. Thank you very much."Are the Yankees turning a blind eye to Anthony Volpe's struggles?It's one thing to protect a player against criticism but quite another to turn a blind eye to a player they want to see succeed, even if that comes at the expense of the team's immediate future.The Yankees have lost their AL East lead to the Toronto Blue Jays. Even the Red Sox possess a better record. While Anthony Volpe isn't to be solely blamed, he has not done the club any good due to his lapses this season.It's not only about his defensive struggles that are inviting criticism. Before Thursday's game, Volpe had the lowest on-base percentage and the second-worst batting average this season. Even by wRC+, he ranks in the bottom 10 sluggers of the MLB.Things need to change or a decision needs to be made, as demanded by several Yankees fans.