Anthony Volpe Returns to Yankees Lineup After Four-Game Layoff
Shortstop back in starting mix at Target Field as Yankees seek offensive spark down the stretch
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Volpe returned to the New York Yankees' lineup Tuesday after being unavailable or limited for four games because of a cortisone injection in his left shoulder.
Manager Aaron Boone said before the game at Target Field that Volpe was ready to play and that the move was partly to reinsert a potential offensive catalyst as the Yankees head into the final weeks of the regular season and toward October. "He’s ready to go," Boone said. "And also, Caballero’s not a guy that plays every single day and I want to be mindful of that, as he’s a little beat up too. I want to get Anthony back into the mix here and hopefully give us a spark today."
Volpe had been limited after receiving a cortisone injection in his left shoulder. Entering Tuesday, he was batting .145 with a .454 OPS and had struck out 37 times in 32 games during his most recent stretch. The team pointed to a 14-game period earlier this season — which came in the two weeks after he received his first cortisone injection over the All-Star break — when Volpe hit .280 with a 1.035 OPS as evidence he could rebound.
"I feel like he’s in a good place physically," Boone said. "But that being said, I feel like that’s been the case most of the year. He’s just got to focus on what he does at the plate and put himself in a position to make good swing decisions. Hopefully it’ll click for him right away."
Gio Urshela Caballero, who had been handling shortstop duties during Volpe's absence, took pregame grounders and batting practice, and there was no indication of anything more serious than the fatigue that can come near the end of a long season. Caballero had started six straight days, the first time he had done so since May, and Boone said he wanted to manage playing time carefully.
Volpe, the Yankees' primary shortstop, will have the opportunity to demonstrate whether he can regain the production the club expects from him down the stretch. The team is monitoring his workload and health as it balances immediate lineup needs with the long-term goal of having key players available for the postseason. Boone’s comments indicated both confidence in Volpe’s readiness and an awareness of the need to manage players' playing time and durability as the season concludes.