The Yankees finally pulled the trigger on a tough decision, designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment after weeks of declining performance.
This move comes right after manager Aaron Boone slid Jazz Chisholm back to second base, his natural spot, to regain defensive stability.
Meanwhile, Oswald Peraza will now take over at third base, at least until the late-July trade deadline when Brian Cashman hopes to land a real upgrade.
It feels like the Yankees are patching holes on a sinking ship, hoping temporary fixes hold until reinforcements arrive.
Anthony Volpe’s defense takes a concerning dip in 2025
The bigger worry might actually be at shortstop, where Anthony Volpe is quietly facing a critical stretch that could define his long-term future.
Volpe is hitting just .217/.293/.391 this season, with 10 homers and a .684 OPS — numbers well below the league average for an everyday shortstop.
Last year, the Yankees could tolerate his slumping bat because he flashed Gold Glove-caliber defense, racking up 14 outs above average.
This season tells a very different story. Over 766.2 innings, Volpe has just two defensive runs saved and minus-three outs above average.
For a team that built its infield on defensive excellence to support inconsistent pitching, that’s a frightening decline.
Brian Cashman still believes Volpe will flip the narrative
Despite the metrics trending in the wrong direction, Cashman remains unwavering in his support of the 23-year-old shortstop.
He recently laid out exactly why he’s not panicking — or planning any major shakeup at shortstop.
“He’s the starting shortstop of the New York Yankees that helped us get to a World Series last year,” Cashman told reporters.
“Performed in the World Series last year. He does not lack confidence…he’s like this brushes shoulder. It doesn’t stick to him.”
Cashman added he’s certain Volpe will have a positive impact on both sides of the ball, stressing that he’s part of the solution, not the problem.
Why the Yankees are betting on resilience over radical change
There’s a bit of a gambler’s mindset here. The Yankees are effectively doubling down on Volpe’s track record of turning things around when it matters.
Cashman is hoping that his young shortstop’s mental makeup — the ability to shrug off slumps like wiping dirt from a jersey — will ultimately win out.
They’ve already seen glimpses of it, and pulling Volpe now could destroy the confidence that’s arguably his biggest asset.
Plus, there simply aren’t many options in the system or on the market better than a still-growing Volpe.
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Yankees infield still feels like a high-wire act
Right now, the Yankees infield resembles a tightrope walker balancing without a safety net. One false move, and the drop could be steep.
They’re hoping Chisholm stabilizes second, Peraza holds up at third until Cashman finds help, and Volpe rebounds both offensively and defensively.
If even two of those three bets fail, the Yankees could be looking at an early playoff exit or, worse, missing October entirely.
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