Ryan Garcia
Anthony Volpe played in five innings for the Somerset Patriots, the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, completing his first rehab game.
The 24-year-old infielder played shortstop, marking his first time on the field since Game 4 of the 2025 American League Division Series against the Blue Jays.
Manager Aaron Boone mentioned that the infielder is expected to get around 50 at-bats before being activated off of the injured list.
MLB rules allow for up to 20 days of rehab for Volpe, and given Boone’s initial proclamation one could assume that his return is likely to be around late-April or early May.
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Anthony Volpe Completes Important First Step Towards Return to Yankees
It was something of a homecoming for Anthony Volpe, who helped the Somerset Patriots win an Eastern League title in 2022.
Playing in his first game at TD Bank Park since late in the 2022 season, he would go 0-2 and complete five full innings at shortstop.
“It was very nostalgic…it’s like a family for sure to come back to that and see other guys in your shoes is cool”
He is expected to continue rehabbing for multiple weeks, with Volpe noting that he will be aiming to get into back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday.
This rehab process has given Anthony Volpe a chance to clean up some mechanical issues as he lamented the “funky patterns” he would get into over the course of a full season.
Facing Zack Wheeler in this rehab outing he was tested out of the gate, and that test resulted in two strikeouts as the Phillies’ ace was stellar before stumbling in the sixth.
Expected to get the shortstop job back when he returns to the Major Leagues, this third season is one that Volpe is hoping to see offensive improvements from.
He has yet to exceed an 87 wRC+ in an MLB season, having the 11th-worst OBP among qualified hitters since making his debut in 2023.
Rehabbing Veterans Sing George Lombard Jr.’s Praises
Anthony Volpe referred to George Lombard Jr. as a “very hard worker” and discussed how impressed he was with some of the swings from the Yankees’ top prospect.
As a former top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system who had tons of public acclaim, he can understand the exact position that the 20-year-old is in right now.
He noted that he didn’t care much about his prospect status when he came up through the system and believes that Lombard is able to drown out that noise as well.
Volpe did not get to see the double that the youngster ripped off of Zack Wheeler, but the Phillies’ ace certainly got a good look at what could be the Yankees’ future shortstop.
“He was taking good swings all night…good bat path and he’s going to be a good player. I hope I don’t have to face him too much.”
George Lombard Jr. had a strikeout, deep flyout, and RBI double against Zack Wheeler before picking up his second hit of the day later in the game.
He continues to torch Eastern League pitching, holding a 1.372 OPS and hitting .469 in the earlygoing of the 2026 season.
On top of the excellent offensive performance, Lombard dazzled with excellent defense at third base making multiple impressive off-platform throws.
With the Yankees’ infield being in some dissaray in the first month of the season and the impending free agency of Jazz Chisholm Jr., there’s a world where he debuts in late 2026 or early 2027.
A near-consensus pick for the top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, the 20-year-old has looked every bit as good as the team could have hoped for.
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