NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe’s rehab from left shoulder surgery ended Sunday, but the shortstop’s next step is not rejoining the New York Yankees.
With José Caballero excelling as New York’s everyday shortstop, the AL East-leading Yankees announced they had optioned Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well,” manager Aaron Boone said before over Baltimore. “That complicates it.”
Volpe batted .250 (11 for 44) in 13 minor league rehabilitation games, mostly for Double-A Somerset. Sunday was the maximum 20th day for a rehab assignment in the minors.
If Volpe remains in the minors for another 20 days or more, it would delay his free-agent eligibility by a year until after the 2029 season.
Volpe had left shoulder surgery on Oct. 14, a week after the Yankees were eliminated by Toronto in the AL Division Series.
Volpe hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs last year and made a career-high 19 errors, tied for third-most among major league shortstops. He got a cortisone shot on Sept. 10 after reaggravating a previous shoulder injury three days earlier.
Volpe also had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break. He initially got hurt when he felt a pop in his shoulder during a loss to Tampa Bay on May 3 last season.
As a rookie in 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove and hit .209 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and had 24 stolen bases after winning the shortstop job in spring training.
He batted .243 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs in 2024.
In the 2024 playoffs, Volpe batted .286 and hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Caballero has started at shortstop in 33 of the Yankees’ 34 games this season. On Friday, he had a go-ahead, second-inning homer off Baltimore’s Cade Povich. He is batting .259 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
“He’s been right in the middle of that, defensively and offensively,” Boone said. “He’s earned some opportunities there. It’s really as simple as that.”
A 29-year-old acquired from Tampa Bay last July 31, Caballero is hitting .316 (24 for 76) with 11 RBIs in his last 21 games.
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