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As the New York Yankees continued to roll to start the season and own the best record in the American League after an 11-3 victory Sunday over the Baltimore Orioles, they had a big decision to make at the end of the day.
What to do with shortstop Anthony Volpe, a polarizing figure among the fan base whose rehab stint ended?
While Volpe rehabbed from left shoulder surgery, Jose Caballero, who was acquired by the Yankees last season, has done more than play a serviceable shortstop. He has come up in clutch positions and has been a smooth glove at one of the most important positions on the diamond.
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Anthony Volpe of the Somerset Patriots fields during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on May 1, 2026. (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto)
As a result, the Yankees made the decision to have Volpe not rejoin the team, but rather optioned the 25-year-old to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of position and playing really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said ahead of the Yankees’ win on Sunday, according to ESPN. “That complicates it.”
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Caballero has been the Yankees’ primary shortstop across 34 games this season, doing well with the regular at-bats that usually come toward the bottom of the lineup. He’s slashing .259/.306/.405 with a .711 OPS, four homers and 12 RBIs so far.
Meanwhile, Volpe went 11-for-44 (.250) during his 13 rehab appearances in the minor leagues, which mostly came with the Double-A Somerset Patriots.
Volpe ended up having shoulder surgery on October 14, which came after the Yankees were eliminated from the MLB postseason by the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that won the American League pennant.
New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe throws to first base for one out during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
But the injury was one that bothered Volpe throughout the season. He received a cortisone shot in the shoulder during the All-Star break, and then again on Sept. 10 after an aggravation of the injury.
Volpe went on to hit .212/.272/.391 with a .663 OPS in 153 games for New York, with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs. But fans took issue with Volpe’s lack of consistency at shortstop, which tallied 19 errors, third-most among major leaguers at the position.
Volpe was the Yankees’ first-round pick of the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft, and after finding quick success in the minor leagues, he debuted in 2023 as the team’s starting shortstop after spring training.
After hitting 21 home runs, despite hitting just .209 with a .283 on-base percentage, the Yankees liked what they saw from their 22-year-old shortstop, who was also named a Gold Glover that season.
Anthony Volpe of the Somerset Patriots takes the field during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ on May 1, 2026. (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto)
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This doesn’t mean Volpe will spend the 2026 season straight in the minors, but the Yankees won’t be switching things up as they remain hot.
In the meantime, Volpe will use his Triple-A at-bats and reps at shortstop to get right when the Yankees eventually get him back in the big games.
