Anthony Volpe’s underwhelming season has made the shortstop a topic of controversy in the Bronx, and more attention was generated this week when it was revealed that Volpe has been playing with a small tear in his left shoulder labrum since May 3. Trying to play through this shoulder problem has clearly impacted Volpe’s performance — not only has he hit .197/.248/.378 in 418 plate appearances since suffering the injury, Volpe’s formerly excellent defense has drastically fallen off.
Speaking with ESPN’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters on Friday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman noted Volpe’s “tough stretch” and said that “this isn’t the season we expected or he expected.” That said, Cashman gave a vote of confidence to Volpe, saying that the 2025 season “doesn’t change our viewpoint of what he’s capable of,” and that he is still the Yankees’ choice at shortstop going forward.
“He’s someone that we can count on and we believe in….I think he’s a really talented guy and I think he has a chance to be a positive impact, obviously,” Cashman said.
Volpe was hitting significantly better (.239/.333/.453) in his first 135 plate appearances of the season pre-injury, so it could be that his labrum tear prevented a potential breakout year. Still, Volpe’s full-season numbers aren’t far off the .228/.288/.373 slash line he posted over 1290 PA in his first two Major League seasons, so it isn’t as if struggles at the plate are a new problem for the 24-year-old.
Outsized expectations have followed Volpe ever since his emergence as one of baseball’s top prospects, and the Yankees’ decision to debut him as their Opening Day shortstop in 2023. While the team itself has always been quick to downplay the “next Derek Jeter” hype, the Yankees’ immediate installation of Volpe in an everyday role has stood in stark contrast to the club’s more infrequent usage of most other top minor leaguers in recent years. If anything, Volpe’s critics are sure to argue that Cashman’s continued confidence in Volpe is part of the problem, and that the Yankees should be more open to upgrading at shortstop.
While Cashman has made some rather blunt critiques of other New York players in the past, it only makes sense for the GM to continue his public support of Volpe, and there isn’t any reason to yet suspect that the Yankees aren’t viewing Volpe’s rough year as anything but a by-product of his shoulder injury. Since Volpe is only entering arbitration eligibility this coming offseason, his three remaining years of pretty inexpensive team control make him an intriguing asset on a team loaded with big salaries and a hefty luxury tax bill. If Volpe is able to get healthy and break out as, in Cashman’s words, “a quality, above-average regular shortstop in the game,” that’s a major boost for the Yankees on every front.
Still, finding another inexpensive shortstop candidate could change the equation, and one such player may have already been found in Jose Caballero. Acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline, Caballero has hit .263/.358/.439 in 68 PA in the pinstripes, which far and away represents the best offensive stretch of his three MLB seasons. The utilityman has also pitched in at both corner outfield slots, second base, and third base, but most of Caballero’s time has come at shortstop in the wake of Volpe’s increased missed time.
Volpe hasn’t played since Tuesday after receiving a cortisone shot in his ailing shoulder, paving the way for Caballero to step into regular shortstop duty. Boone told Castillo and company that “we’ll see” about who plays shortstop when Volpe is ready to return, which hints that the Yankees could be considering a timeshare at the position.
The longer-term issue of Volpe’s health is also a lingering question. Cashman said more will be known once Volpe receives more tests, and while the GM “wouldn’t rule…out” an offseason surgery, “as of right now, there’s no surgery recommended. There’s not even an IL recommended.” Should Volpe indeed end up going under the knife, he’d very likely miss some time and perhaps an extended amount of the 2026 season, leaving the Yankees in need of another shortstop.