New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided an encouraging update on Anthony Volpe’s recovery on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
According to Boone, Volpe will begin live batting practice on Wednesday and should start a rehab assignment within two weeks (h/t Talkin’ Yanks).
In his absence, Jose Caballero has handled shortstop duties for New York and has been doing a solid job so far in the young season. On defense, Caballero leads the league with 14 assists, as well as five double plays turned, and on offense, he has four hits in four games, trying to be a spark in the bottom of the Yankees lineup. His speed on the base paths also unlocks extra scoring opportunities that the Yankees desperately need to cash in on.
A fully healthy Volpe could look very different from the player Yankee fans have seen in recent seasons. Volpe has been recovering from a left shoulder injury he initially suffered in early May 2025, which he aggravated in September, and was operated on in October. As Volpe played with the injured shoulder for months, it started to take a visible toll on his numbers. In 2025, he batted .212/.272/.391, in what was one of the worst offensive seasons of his young career. The numbers have contributed to the narrative that Volpe has underperformed as one of the Yankees’ most hyped prospects in recent years.
Volpe entered the league with enormous expectations, especially as a shortstop, a position that has not felt the same in the Bronx since Derek Jeter retired in 2014. Volpe won a Gold Glove in his rookie season in 2023 and recorded a 21-game hitting streak in 2024, the longest by a Yankees player in over a decade. He also delivered one of the more memorable moments of the 2024 postseason with a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series. The talent has never been a question, but his consistency has.
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Through three MLB seasons, Volpe owns a career .662 OPS and an 84 OPS+, meaning his offense has been 16 percent below league average. Boone and the Yankees' front office have publicly maintained their faith, with the manager still believing that Volpe can be one of the top shortstops in baseball.
For Volpe, who turns 25 in late April, the 2026 season may be the most important stretch of his career, with a chance to finally play healthy and prove the prospect hype was warranted all along.
