With the Yankees defeating the Orioles 11-3 on Sunday, they are now eyeing a clean sweep. But before that, they addressed the lingering Anthony Volpe situation.

The star shortstop’s rehab assignment is over, and the Yankees have officially optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"Caballero is playing the heck out of the position and playing really well," manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday's 11-3 win over Baltimore. "That complicates it."

Across 13 minor league rehab games this season, Volpe went 11-for-44 at the plate, hitting .250 with one home run, six RBIs, and one error. While he has certainly shown improvement, it still may not be enough to push Jose Caballero out of the lineup.

Jose Caballero did exactly what was asked of him in Anthony Volpe’s absence. Across 116 at-bats, Caballero is hitting .259 with four home runs, 12 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 33 games.

With that said, what’s next for Volpe? Well, if the Yankees decide to keep Anthony Volpe in the minors for at least 20 more days, then they would effectively delay his free agency timeline by a full season.

The Yankees will now have club control over Volpe through 2029. If he wants to force his way back to the majors, he’ll have to go to Scranton and completely dominate Triple-A pitching, though even that comes with its own challenge.

Anthony Volpe’s Minor League Test Begins

For Anthony Volpe to make a comeback, he has to put together statement performances in the minors, think .300+ average, power at the plate, and minimal errors.

The good news is that his shoulder appears to be genuinely fine for the first time since early 2025, and he is hitting big.

Last season, he hit .212 with 19 homers and a career-high 72 RBIs. However, he made a career-high 19 errors, tied for the third most among major league shortstops.

His performance was good, but not enough to bring him back to the game. However, there’s a threat looming for him as well in the form of George Lombard Jr.

The Yankees have also promoted him to Triple-A, and if he outperforms Volpe, the organization will most likely allow him to prove himself at the major league level.

With that said, the next few weeks will be crucial for Anthony Volpe as he looks to reclaim his spot by midsummer, earn a trade to a team that believes in him, or watch his window in New York quietly close.

Do you think Volpe still has a future in pinstripes? Comment down below!

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Utsav Gupta