The Yankees’ latest infield twist may have opened a new path for Anthony Volpe.
Once the club’s near-everyday shortstop, Volpe is now trying to carve out a future in a much different Yankees picture. George Lombard Jr., promoted on Aug. 4 the same day Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, has been getting steady run at shortstop and immediately made his presence felt by homering for his first major league hit. José Caballero’s ability to move around the infield and Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s hold on second base have only tightened the squeeze.
That shift matters because the Yankees entered Aug. 11 at 66-52, six games back of Tampa Bay in the AL East and 6.5 games ahead of the nearest team outside the American League wild-card field, according to MLB’s official standings. With Aaron Boone trying to put together the best possible lineup for the stretch run, the margin for patience is thinner than ever.
Volpe’s own numbers explain why his road back is not automatic. In 56 major league games, he hit .240 with a .325 on-base percentage and .322 slugging percentage, with one home run, 19 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 194 plate appearances.
The Yankees are not just asking whether his bat comes around. They’re also trying to figure out what else he can be.
The first step in that process came Saturday, when Volpe started at second base for the first time since 2021 in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 9-0 loss to Rochester at PNC Field. He handled all three chances cleanly, went 1-for-4 with a double, and struck out twice. Rochester used seven pitchers in the shutout, with Erik Tolman getting the win and Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón taking the loss in a rehab start.
The move to second base wasn’t a permanent switch away from shortstop. Volpe played short on Friday and Sunday, homered for two runs Friday but also committed a throwing error, then returned to short as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre beat Rochester 9-8 on Sunday.
The Yankees had already been laying groundwork for this. Volpe has occasionally taken ground balls at second base on days he wasn’t in the lineup, and Triple-A gives the club a safer place to see whether that work can translate into games.
There’s also a clean baseball fit: Baseball Savant’s 2026 Statcast data has Volpe with six Outs Above Average, his range in the 91st percentile and his arm strength in the 15th percentile. Second base asks less of the arm and still rewards range and quickness.
Caballero’s versatility gives the Yankees room to test the idea without forcing it in the majors. He can shift to second when Chisholm gets a day off, which let New York keep Volpe at short until the option created a chance for more deliberate work.
But the bat remains the real gatekeeper.
Volpe’s Triple-A weekend showed both sides of the coin. He homered for two runs Friday, doubled Saturday and got one hit Sunday. He also struck out four times Friday, made the error at short and did not do enough over three days to suggest the major league version of his season had suddenly changed.
That’s the balancing act for the Yankees. A second-base look can make Volpe easier to fit, but it also points to a different role than the one that once seemed locked in for him. If he’s going to push back into the picture, he may need a better bat and a broader defensive profile.
There’s also a bigger-picture reason to keep exploring it. Chisholm is on a one-year contract in 2026 and eligible for free agency after the season, according to MLB. Volpe, 25, remains under team control, and if he can show he can handle both middle-infield spots while getting his offense back on track, his case changes quickly.
For now, there’s no firm timetable for his return, especially if the Yankees stay healthy and Lombard keeps holding shortstop. What Saturday did was change the shape of the conversation.
The Yankees are no longer only asking whether Volpe can get his old job back. They’re finding out whether a new one can keep him in the mix.
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