Alexander Wilson
Yankees’ Anthony Volpe spent the entirety of 2025 fighting his own body and losing. Every throw from shortstop carried a reminder that something fundamental was broken. The partially torn labrum in his throwing arm turned routine plays into liabilities, transforming a Gold Glove-caliber defender into a backup-caliber player. Two cortisone shots barely kept the pain manageable. Treatment didn’t work. The shoulder would respond briefly and then flare up again.
Now, for the first time since the injury derailed his campaign, there’s reason for optimism.
“I feel like I’ve been able to handle everything thrown at me so far,” Volpe told the New York Post. The shoulder is responding to treatment in a way it simply was not during 2025. “Every day is better, even if it’s a very small amount. Whereas last year, you do a bunch of treatment and you just don’t respond or you feel worse.”
Defense Fell Off a Cliff
The defensive decline wasn’t subtle. Over 1,303.2 innings at shortstop, he posted just two defensive runs saved with -7 outs above average and a -5 fielding run value. In 2024, Volpe was a Gold Glove caliber piece. The torn labrum erased all of that. Throws that used to be crisp became adventures. Range that separated him from the pack became average.
The Yankees couldn’t afford to shut him down, so Volpe played through it, watching his defensive metrics crater while his shoulder refused to heal. It’s the kind of season that can define a young player’s trajectory.
The Offensive Struggles Compounded Everything
Playing through shoulder pain doesn’t just affect throwing. It affects swing mechanics, bat speed, and contact ability. Over 153 games, Volpe hit .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs and 72 RBIs, posting an 83 wRC+.
The power was there in flashes. But Volpe was known as a contact hitter in the minors, someone who could spray line drives and control the strike zone. Those skills have vanished. The balance between power and contact that defines successful major league hitters remains elusive, and the shoulder injury only made the offensive volatility worse.
Recovery Brings Hope for 2026
The Yankees are taking a patient approach with Volpe’s rehabilitation, and the early returns suggest that patience will pay off. He may miss the first few weeks after Opening Day, but the alternative is rushing him back and risking another compromised season.
“I’m in a good spot,” Volpe said, “and I feel like I could do more, which I think is what the trainers want.”
That’s the mentality the Yankees need: confidence tempered with discipline. Volpe wants to push. The trainers want to hold him back. But for the first time in over a year, the shoulder is responding.
It’s a big IF when it comes to Volpe recovering his Gold Dlove caliber accuman and maintaining power while adding more contact. Assuming that’s unlikely, the Yankees do have a Gold Glove shortstop developing in the minors. His name is George Lombard Jr., and 2027 seems to be his timeline for promotion to the majors.
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