Yankees Option Anthony Volpe Amid Chaotic Week Across MLB

There have been a quite a few intriguing decisions made across Major League Baseball so far this season and another popped up on Sunday.

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe hasn't appeared in a game in the big leagues yet this season as he has rehabbed and recovered after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. Volpe's rehab assignment wrapped up on Sunday but rather than promoting the young shortstop back up to the big league club, the Yankees opted to option him down to Triple-A.

"Following today’s game, the Yankees returned INF Anthony Volpe from his rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre," the Yankees announced.

Anthony Volpe Was Optioned

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe — Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe continued his rehab assignment with the Somerset Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater on April 17, 2026. | Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Overall, Volpe has played in 12 games so far this season down in the minors and has slashed .275/.333/.350 with one homer and six RBIs. This is arguably yet another intriguing decision around the league. Over the last week, we've seen other big decisions, like the Boston Red Sox firing Alex Cora and the Philadelphia Phillies firing manager Rob Thomson. Again, in one week, we've seen two managers fired and now a Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop optioned.

Optioning Volpe isn't quite at the level of Cora and Thomson's firing, but it's arguably not that far off. Volpe entered the big leagues back in 2023 with the expectation that he could be the long-term answer for one of the most famous spots in the league. The Yankees have been looking for a long-term answer at shortstop since Derek Jeter hung up his cleats. Volpe broke into the big leagues in 2023 and won a Gold Glove Award, hit 21 homers and drove in 60 runs.

In 2024, he seemingly took a step forward and slashed .243/.293/.364 with 12 homers, 60 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. But when you're the shortstop of the Yankees, you need to be a star. In 2025, he had 19 homers, 72 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases, but New York is sending him down to Triple-A. He's just 25 years old. There are plenty of teams around the league that would like to have an infielder like him. Instead, the Yankees are sticking with speedy José Caballero, who has 12 stolen bases on the season and is slashing .259/.308/.411.

It's been a wild few weeks around Major League Baseball. We've now seen two managers fired, a Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop optioned, and plenty of expected contenders are struggling, including the New York Mets and Houston Astros. What an odd, but fun season so far.

Add us as a preferred source on Google