We have known for months that Yankees‘ Anthony Volpe played through a nightmare scenario in 2025, battling a partially torn labrum that turned his Gold Glove defense into a liability. It wasn’t a secret, but it was certainly a terrifying reality for a team relying on him as their franchise shortstop.
On Wednesday, General Manager Brian Cashman finally gave us the concrete update we’ve been waiting for: Volpe is making progress, but he won’t be answering the bell on Opening Day.
This update shifts the conversation from “what’s wrong?” to “can he recover?” Cashman confirmed that while Volpe is pushing through his rehab, the target for his return is sometime in April. I’m relieved we have a timeline, but I’m still sweating the implications. We are talking about a player whose primary assets—his arm and his bat speed—were completely compromised by this injury, and assuming he snaps back to 100% immediately is a gamble.
The Stats Show Just How Deep the Hole Was
Now that we have the full picture of the recovery, we have to look back at the carnage of 2025 with clear eyes. We knew he was hurt, but the metrics quantify just how much that shoulder limited him. His Arm Strength didn’t just dip; it collapsed to the 33rd percentile, averaging a pedestrian 81.9 mph. That explains why a defender we once trusted implicitly suddenly posted a -5 Fielding Run Value and ranked in the 8th percentile for Outs Above Average.
Offensively, the injury clearly robbed him of his ability to drive the baseball. A .212 average and .391 slugging percentage are bad enough, but his 10th percentile Expected Batting Average (.223) tells me he wasn’t unlucky; he was physically unable to compete. The Yankees are betting that surgery and rest fix this, but shoulder injuries for hitters are notoriously tricky.
Jose Caballero Is the Best Insurance Policy Money Could Buy
If there is a silver lining to Volpe missing the first few weeks, it is that the Yankees aren’t scrambling for a replacement. Jose Caballero, acquired from the Rays last summer, is ready to step in, and frankly, he might be more than just a placeholder.
After arriving in New York, Caballero played like a man possessed, slashing .266/.372/.456 with a 134 wRC+ in 40 games. He brings 90th percentile Range to the position, ensuring the defense doesn’t fall off a cliff while Volpe finishes his rehab.
The Yankees are sticking with Volpe for 2026, bridging the gap until top prospect George Lombard Jr. is ready, potentially by 2027. But make no mistake: Volpe is on the clock. We know about the injury, we know the timeline, and now he has to prove that 2025 was just a physical aberration, not a new normal.