The Yankees were gearing up to face off against the Houston Astros in the opening series finale on Sunday afternoon. However, after the Yankees dropped their lineup, they unexpectedly scratched Anthony Volpe about an hour before game time.
The 22-year-old had a red-hot start to the 2024 season, hitting .400/.571/.800 across three games and 14 played appearances. On Saturday evening, he smashed his first home run of the season to give the Yankees a nice cushion, winning their third straight game.
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The Yankees Are Seeing Massive Growth From Anthony Volpe
Volpe has made significant changes to his swing this off-season, hitting with a more even bat-path and keeping his upper body more balanced. His launch angle has dropped from 14.2° to just 6.1° to open the year, already recording a 57.1% hard-hit rate.
If Volpe can maintain his slugging prowess and make more contact, he could be in line for an All-Star-caliber season, given his defense maintains consistency.
In his place, the Yankees will likely move Oswaldo Cabrera to shortstop, and Jon Berti will take over on the corner. He will make his debut with the Bombers after being acquired earlier this week. Volpe is out with an upset stomach, so the thought is it isn’t anything long-term.