Anthony Volpe, the New York Yankees’ shortstop, will not be in the lineup for Opening Day 2026 as he recovers from arthroscopic surgery to repair a significant tear in his left labrum. The injury, which was more severe than initially thought, was discovered after an MRI following the end of the Yankees’ 2025 season.
Volpe sustained the shoulder injury while diving for a ground ball on May 3 and continued to play through the remainder of the season with multiple cortisone injections. He acknowledged that there is “a lot of work to be done” regarding his performance and anticipated “a lot of sleepless nights” after the team’s playoff elimination.
With Volpe sidelined until at least May, opportunities may open up for José Caballero, Oswaldo Cabrera, or other players to fill in at shortstop. Despite this setback, Yankees management remains confident in Volpe’s future with the team.
“Do I believe in Anthony Volpe? The answer is yes,” said general manager Brian Cashman.
Volpe was selected by the Yankees as their first-round pick (30th overall) in the 2019 Draft and became a fixture in their lineup starting in 2023. He has played nearly every game over three seasons but has struggled offensively, posting a career .662 OPS and an 84 OPS+, indicating production below league average. Defensively, Volpe committed 19 errors last season—tied for third-most among Major League shortstops—and finished with minus-6 outs above average after a strong defensive showing in 2024.
Manager Aaron Boone addressed areas for improvement: “We’ve got to get that number to go up. There’s a lot of different ways to do that, whether it’s getting on base more and hitting for a higher average, or whether it’s being more consistent on the power front.”
Boone also noted that despite defensive struggles midseason, Volpe showed improvement over the final two months: “I think it’s really important to know how good he was the final two months, which is more in line — defensively speaking — with who he’s been these first few years.”
The organization cites Volpe’s age—he turns 25 in April—and his strong work ethic as reasons for optimism about his recovery and development. His postseason contributions were highlighted by a World Series grand slam during the previous year.
“He’s had a lot of success offensively, but he’s obviously had a lot of valleys, too,” Boone said. “The challenge for us and for him is going to be to shore up those things to make him more consistent.”
Cashman pointed out Trent Grisham as an example of unexpected player growth within their roster: Grisham went from being considered a role player to hitting a career-high 34 home runs last season and earning a qualifying offer worth $22.025 million.
“You can never predict someone’s journey, somebody’s impact,” Cashman said.
Volpe is expected to resume batting practice by mid-February but will have restrictions during spring training and likely begin Minor League rehab games before returning to Major League action around mid-April or later. His return could depend on how other options perform during his absence.
“I believe in Volpe,” Cashman reiterated. “And when he comes back, I still believe everything that we felt about him before his surgery. I’m happy we have Cabby as well. The game separates the men from the boys, and dictates who should and shouldn’t be playing over the course of time.”
