Nhe New York Yankees‘ All-Star Cody Bellinger is inching closer to his return to the majors after going on the IL with a hamstring injury last month.
On Thursday night, Bellinger joined the team’s Triple-A affiliate for his first rehab appearance, sharing the field with recently demoted infielder Anthony Volpe.
Bellinger recorded one hit in three at-bats, while Volpe blasted a two-run home run — his fourth during his time in Triple-A this season and his third since the Yankees demoted him on Aug. 4.
Bellinger Makes Statement on Volpe
After the game, Bellinger spoke to the media. While reporters mainly asked about his health, how he felt and his performance, they also asked him about what he saw from Volpe.
Volpe remains one of the more scrutinized players in the Yankees organization after failing to consistently live up to the expectations that followed him when he made his major league debut in 2023.
“Yeah, great swing. He had a great swing in his first at-bat as well… but I think the swing’s in a pretty good spot and he’s obviously working really hard, so it’s always nice to see results,” Bellinger said.
He’s feeling good 📈 @Yankees Cody Bellinger following Thursday night’s rehab appearance at PNC Field: pic.twitter.com/znLpHBbhtq
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) August 21, 2026
Volpe’s 2026 Struggles
It simply hasn’t been the ideal 2026 campaign for Volpe, who began the year on the IL while recovering from shoulder surgery.
He’s appeared in 56 games for the Yankees this year. To put his three homers over the last two and a half weeks in the minors into perspective, he hit just one across 171 at-bats in the majors.
The emergence of George Lombard Jr. at shortstop has also made things more interesting for Volpe if and when he gets another opportunity with New York.
Volpe has started taking reps at second base in Triple-A, including Thursday night, which could give him another path back to the majors if he can become a more versatile defensively.
New York Yankees Star Cody Bellinger Makes Honest Statement About Anthony Volpe