New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. As a result, he’s unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, and so the Yankees will lean on veteran José Caballero for the time being.
Volpe looks to put his shoulder injury behind him as he needs to return and hit the ground running with Caballero being competition for his starting job. Since 2023, Volpe has posted a .222 batting average, 382 hits, 52 home runs, 192 RBIs, and 217 runs scored, while winning one Gold Glove award.
Ahead of spring training games getting underway and the 2026 season fast approaching, Yankees reporter for YES Network, Meredith Marakovits, shared the latest regarding Volpe’s injury recovery.
“He told me that the tear in his labrum was perhaps a little bit worse than they thought once they actually got in there and started doing the surgery, and they put about six sutures in it,” Marakovits said during a Feb. 19 appearance on MLB Network. “He said he woke up and was just excited that it was fixed and he can start the rehab process.
“Now he’s started his hitting program the other day, so he is likely going to start the season on the IL, and it’ll take him some time to make sure he gets full strength back in that, goes through that hitting program, and goes through the throwing at shortstop.”
Yankees’ Plan at Shortstop With Anthony Volpe Recovering
Moreover, Marakovits shared the Yankees’ plan at shortstop, as Volpe doesn’t appear ready for Opening Day and New York will need a short-term solution until he’s cleared to play during the regular season.
“If Anthony Volpe isn’t there on Opening Day—and it looks unlikely that he will be—who is going to be manning shortstop for the New York Yankees?” Marakovits added. “They do have a couple of options there. José Caballero is one of them. Also, there’s Oswaldo Cabrera.
“And a guy who’s maybe getting in the mix is Ryan McMahon. He’s only played three innings at shortstop throughout his professional career, his Major League career, but they’re going to give him some reps to see if he could be a legitimate option there at short if they need him.”
Anthony Volpe Gets Blunt Message Ahead of 2026 Season
Once Vople returns, the patience with him producing might be short. During a Feb. 2 appearance on WFAN, Aaron Boone was blunt about Volpe when receiving a question about whether the 24-year-old will be on a short leash this season.
“Now with José Caballero in the mix, we have somebody that’s like, ‘Man, this guy’s a really good big league player,'” Boone said. “I think [Caballero] showed that with us. He’s shown that the last couple of years with Tampa and Seattle, can really legit defend at a lot different places, including shortstop. He started to push himself into the mix a little bit last year.
“I still think Anthony is going to be a frontline shortstop in this league. Everyone’s path isn’t linear. We always wanted to be here. That can be tough, especially in New York, when you’re finding your way. I think he’s going to turn into that player, and I wanted to be here. But bringing guys in like Caballero, I think that’s good for competition.”
Yankees Insider Delivers Major Injury Update on Anthony Volpe