On Wednesday, New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe underwent shoulder surgery. A long time coming as he has been nursing a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing arm for quite some time.
On Thursday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Volpe will undergo a lengthy recovery, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. According to Boone, Volpe is expected to be out for four months due to playing.
After that, he will have to wait six months before he can start diving on that shoulder. As a result, Volpe will likely miss the start of the 2026 MLB season. Before the operation, Volpe was under the impression he might not need surgery following the Yankees' elimination in the ALDS to the Blue Jays.
Nevertheless, even while hobbled, he delivered some strong performances in the postseason. In Game 1 of the Wild Card series, Volpe hit a home run against the Red Sox. A homer that temporarily halted any concerns about his condition.
Additionally, he made MLB history by becoming the first shortstop to achieve 15 hits and 10 walks in his first 15 postseason games. During the regular season, Volpe batted .212 with 114 hits, 19 home runs, and 72 RBIs.
In the playoffs, he batted .192 with five hits, one home run, and two RBIs.
Who will be the temporary Yankees shortstop?
With Volpe out for the time being, it is expected that either Jose Caballero, Oswaldo Cabrera, or George Lombard Jr. will take over as the Yankees' starting shortstop.
The likely choice will be Caballero. During the season, Caballero played in 40 games and batted .236 with 21 hits, 5 home runs, and 36 RBIs.
Cabrera played 34 games during the regular season at shortstop. Altogether, he batted .243 with 26 hits, one home run, and eleven RBIs. Meanwhile, Lombard Jr. is playing for the Double A affiliate Somerset Patriots.
During his season, he batted .235 with 111 hits, 9 home runs, and 49 RBIs.
