Anthony Volpe enjoyed a promising rookie campaign with the New York Yankees in 2023. But the 25-year-old shortstop did not progress as expected over the next two years. Volpe went through a particularly difficult period in the latter half of last season. He started the 2026 campaign on the IL after undergoing elbow surgery during the offseason.
On Sunday, Anthony Volpe completed his 20-day rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his bid to return to the New York Yankees lineup. But in a dramatic turn of events, the Yankees chose to option Volpe back to Triple-A instead. Manager Aaron Boone discussed the team’s reasons for the decision with the media.
“The fact is we’re probably as deep as we’ve ever been, and we have real competition for real spots and real roles on the team that we haven’t had at some moments in time, at some portions of seasons,” Boone said. “The reality is we have a lot of really good players competing for roles.”
Volpe won a Gold Glove in 2023, finishing in the top 10 for Rookie of the Year. But he regressed at the plate last year, batting .212/.272/.391 with an 82 OPS+, in addition to leading the American League with 19 fielding errors.
Jose Caballero’s Performance Blocks Path for Anthony Volpe’s Return
Jose Caballero took the spot of Anthony Volpe as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees on Opening Day. His stellar performance on both sides of the field is the primary reason why Volpe has become surplus to requirements for the Yankees.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That complicates it.”
“He’s been right in the middle of that, defensively and offensively. He’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that.”
Caballero is one of the standout performers for the Yankees so far this season, with 1.3 bWAR over 33 games. He is batting .259/.306/.405 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, besides leading the AL with 13 stolen bases.
