The New York Yankees, after being shut out 3-0 on Wednesday, will be aiming for the series split with their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays, on Thursday afternoon in a matinee series finale.
For New York, it will be a rare start for Paul Blackburn (2-1, 2.22 ERA, 32 SO). Meanwhile, the Rays will roll with one of their aces, Drew Rasmussen, to get the ball in the series finale. New York is 50-42, and currently sits five games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Yankees’ offense has really been sputtering as of late, and the strikeouts continue to mount.
Before the series finale, per usual, the Yankees revealed their lineup a few hours before first pitch.
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Anthony Volpe Absent from Yankees Lineup
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 01: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees jogs to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on July 01, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
With the right-handed starter Drew Rasmussen getting the ball for the Rays, Anthony Volpe is OUT of the Yankees lineup on Thursday, and it’s Jose Caballero getting the start at shortstop.
As manager Aaron Boone has announced on several occasions, the Yankees’ shortstop position is still a day-to-day decision, but many Yankees fans believe that it should be Jose Caballero’s starting spot at this point.
Courtesy of @UnderdogMLB, here is the Yankees lineup for 7/9:
Yankees 7/9: “T. Grisham CF B. Rice DH J. Domínguez RF C. Bellinger 1B J. Caballero SS J. Chisholm Jr. 2B M. Schuemann LF R. McMahon 3B A. Wells C P. Blackburn SP”
T. Grisham CF B. Rice DH J. Domínguez RF C. Bellinger 1B J. Caballero SS J. Chisholm Jr. 2B M. Schuemann LF R. McMahon 3B A. Wells C
P. Blackburn SP
It’s a very different lineup for Boone and the Yankees, as New York stocked Wednesday’s lineup with a plethora of right-handed hitters, but now, there’s a majority of lefties in the order, including Ryan McMahon, Jasson Dominguez (switch-hitter), and Trent Grisham/Jazz Chisholm Jr., who are back after a day off.
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Anthony Volple’s 2026 Season at a Glance
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 04: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees runs to third base during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on July 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
Now that Anthony Volpe is fully back in the fold for the Yankees, he’s starting to pile up a plethora of at-bats, which gives Yankees fans/analysts, and insiders enough basis to judge how he has performed this season.
Across 132 at-bats, Anthony Volpe has 32 hits (.242 average), one home run, one triple, six doubles, 13 RBI, and an OPS+ of 87. His career OPS+ is 83, so I guess technically this is (in some respects) a better season for Volpe, but only because he’s striking out less. Volpe hasn’t been able to find much of a power stroke and continues to see ample time on the bench with the emergence of Jose Caballero.
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