The Yankees have spent most of this season watching their infield fall apart, piece by fragile piece. It’s been a tough stretch.
Between Paul Goldschmidt’s decline, DJ LeMahieu’s slide into a pure utility role and Oswald Peraza’s disastrous bat, there’s nowhere to hide.
Jazz Chisholm has at least injected life into the lineup, carrying them through key moments with power and grit when they’ve needed it most.
But even Chisholm’s heroics can’t mask the glaring problems across this unit, especially as the summer grind intensifies and the schedule offers no mercy.
Anthony Volpe’s numbers are falling off sharply
Anthony Volpe was supposed to be the steady presence, but right now, he looks more like another question mark than a solution.
The 23-year-old shortstop is slashing .219/.296/.398 with 10 homers and a .694 OPS, producing a 94 wRC+ — meaning he’s 6% below league average.
June was a brutal month, with Volpe hitting just .205 and reaching base under 30% of the time, a worrying trend that hasn’t snapped yet in July.
His glove isn’t helping matters either. Across 757.2 innings, Volpe’s posted only two defensive runs saved, paired with -3 outs above average.
For someone the Yankees hoped would be a defensive cornerstone, that kind of drop-off is an ugly twist in this already messy season.
A hidden injury might explain Volpe’s struggles
In a recent story by Brenden Kuty of The Athletic, Volpe finally revealed something that changes the entire conversation around his struggles.
Since May 3, he’s been icing his left shoulder after every single game, following a diving attempt that left it banged up.
“Listen,” Volpe told The Athletic, “I mean, I know it might sound crazy, but I feel good. We’re obviously working on stuff.”
He added, “I’m confident we’re getting toward that. It’s just the balancing act. I feel really confident every time I step up to the plate.”
It’s admirable that Volpe’s trying to power through the pain, but it also raises questions about whether the Yankees are risking even more by letting him play.
The Yankees don’t have many alternatives right now
This is where things get painfully awkward for general manager Brian Cashman. The Yankees simply don’t have viable alternatives if Volpe needs rest.
Rolling out Peraza every day at shortstop would be like willingly tossing your wallet into a raging bonfire — it just doesn’t make sense.
Peraza’s hitting an abysmal .153 this year, with a .494 OPS that ranks among the very worst in Major League Baseball for qualified players.
So the Yankees are effectively forced to gamble on an injured Volpe returning to form, even if it means enduring more ugly nights at the plate.
It’s a delicate dance: protect the young cornerstone’s long-term health or keep pushing now to stay in a tight playoff race.
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Reinforcements might be the only realistic fix
The obvious solution is for the Yankees to aggressively pursue infield help at the trade deadline, even if it means overpaying slightly to get it done.
A veteran third baseman could slide Jazz Chisholm back to second, taking pressure off Volpe both defensively and in the lineup hierarchy.
Until then, though, the Yankees are basically hoping a sore shoulder doesn’t derail their season completely — a risky bet for a club with championship aspirations.
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