Yankees at Crossroads With Shortstop Position Major Decision Loom

Yankees Face Big Decision on Shortstop’s Future

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The New York Yankees have stood firmly behind Anthony Volpe as their shortstop, but his third season has only deepened the questions about whether he truly is the long-term answer at the position. Volpe has battled both poor performance and a shoulder injury that required a cortisone injection this week, raising concerns about his future as the club’s everyday shortstop.

A Season of Decline

Volpe entered the weekend leading the American League in errors while hitting just .206, a combination that has drawn increasing frustration from Yankees fans. His once-elite defense has fallen apart in 2025, surprising many after he won a Gold Glove as a rookie and followed with another strong defensive campaign in his second year. This season, however, he has graded out as a negative defender for the first time, ranking near the bottom among qualified shortstops with just 0.6 fWAR, according to FanGraphs.

The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported that Volpe has played through a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, an “old injury” that the Yankees’ medical staff does not currently expect to require surgery. Manager Aaron Boone revealed that the injury has lingered for most of the year, forcing the 24-year-old to receive multiple cortisone injections. That revelation has cast new light on Volpe’s throwing issues and his struggles to handle routine plays.

General manager Brian Cashman acknowledged the possibility that the injury has affected Volpe’s game but also called it a “gray area.” He noted that while internal metrics show Volpe still hits the ball well, the results haven’t translated into clean plays. “Who knows how much that shoulder has been a part of that process,” Cashman said at Fenway Park. “I’m sure it’s watered down him on the offensive and defensive side.”

The Yankees’ Dilemma

Despite the decline, both Cashman and Boone continue to publicly support Volpe. Boone benched him against the Red Sox following his injection, starting José Caballero in his place, but stopped short of saying Caballero could overtake him. The Yankees manager instead hinted that Volpe could rebound as soon as the postseason, pointing to his strong October performance in 2024, when he posted a 138 wRC+.

Cashman was even more direct when asked about Volpe’s future, telling reporters he still believes in the former top prospect’s long-term potential. “I think he’s someone that we can count on and we believe in,” Cashman said. “This isn’t the season that we expected or he expected, but that doesn’t change our viewpoint of what he’s capable of. I think he’s a really talented guy, and I think he has a chance to be a positive impact on us.”

That confidence, however, is built more on projection than production. Through three full seasons, Volpe has struggled to establish himself as a consistent offensive player, never hitting above .233 for a season and now fighting through one of the worst years of his young career.

Still, the Yankees have shown no inclination to replace him. Cashman and Boone have repeatedly used words like “talented,” “young,” and “capable” when defending him, even as the evidence has mounted against that optimism. For now, the organization views his shoulder injury and lack of consistency as hurdles he can still overcome.

As the 2025 season winds down, the Yankees continue to bet on Volpe’s potential despite lingering doubts at shortstop.

Alvin Garcia Born in Puerto Rico, Alvin Garcia is a sports writer for Heavy.com who focuses on MLB. His work has appeared on FanSided, LWOS, NewsBreak, Athlon Sports, and Yardbarker, covering mostly MLB. More about Alvin Garcia