Associated PressMultiple AuthorsMay 3, 2026, 07:32 PM ET
NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe’s rehab from left shoulder surgery ended Sunday, but the shortstop’s next step is not rejoining the New York Yankees.
With Jose 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 Sunday’s 11-3 win 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 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.
In the 2024 playoffs, Volpe batted .286 and hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“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.