Anthony Volpe's Likely Return Date is Becoming Obvious (and That's Bad News for Randal Grichuk)

The veteran outfielder's time in the Bronx might be running out.

New York Yankees right fielder Randal Grichuk (34) reacts after striking out against the Athletics during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. | John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees opened the 2026 MLB season shorthanded, and while that was less than ideal, reinforcements are coming. Starting pitchers Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole's rehab stints are slowly ramping up, and it likely won't be long until shortstop Anthony Volpe returns to action.

In fact, the former Gold Glove winner's return could happen as soon as next week, according to Yankees reporter Bryan Hoch. Volpe will play nine innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday before taking on the same workload on Saturday, followed by designated hitter duties to end the weekend. If all goes to plan, per Hoch, Volpe could rejoin New York in time for next week's road series against the Texas Rangers.

Anthony Volpe is off today. He's scheduled to play 9 innings tomorrow for @swbrailriders. 9 more Saturday, then DH on Sunday. It's possible he joins the team on the road for the Rangers series.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) April 23, 2026

Known for his defense, base-running and occasional offensive contributions, Yankees fans have every right to be excited about Volpe's looming concern. His rehab stint is already going well, as he's batting .333 with a home run, two stolen bases and a walk with five strikeouts in six games split between Triple-A and Double-A Somerset.

On the other side of the coin, someone will have to lose their roster spot to make room for the 24-year-old infielder, with veteran bat Randal Grichuk being the likeliest candidate.

Randal Grichuk's time with Yankees is running out

A well-traveled outfielder and former "Yankees killer," Grichuk joined New York on a minor-league contract in February. His best days are behind him, but his locker room leadership and 212 career home runs made him an intriguing option, as the shorthanded Bronx Bombers needed all the help they could get at the start of the year.

His tenure started in disarray, as Grichuk went hitless with one walk and six strikeouts in his first nine games (14 plate appearances). The slump had people assuming he'd be the player most likely to get the boot when Volpe returns, as Amed Rosario has stepped up at various times, while demoting J.C. Escarra would leave New York without a backup catcher.

New York Yankees outfielder Randal Grichuk against the Chicago Cubs during spring training at Sloan Park. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Fortunately, Grichuk finally gave Yankees fans some hope in mid-April. His bat caught fire beginning on April 11, as he went on to slash .294/.316/.471 with two RBIs, a walk and a trio of doubles across 19 PAs in eight games. It was a run good enough to have the Yankees faithful reconsider whether he was the right candidate to kick to the curb ahead of Volpe's return.

Grichuk's odds of remaining on the roster may have taken a hit during Thursday's 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Although the Yankees were victorious, the 2009 first-rounder was 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. It's a small sample size, sure, but every mistake will be under the microscope now that Volpe could return as early as next week.

Grichuk will have at least three games to save his job

Assuming that Volpe is back in time for Monday's opener against the Rangers, Grichuk will only have this weekend's three-game series against the Houston Astros to save his roster spot.

The Astros enter Friday's matchup with an American League West-worst 10-16 record through 26 games. That's promising for Grichuk, who's struggled historically against Houston throughout his career, slashing .196/.239/.402 with only four home runs, 12 RBIs and 26 strikeouts in 113 all-time plate appearances vs. the Astros.

As for the probable pitchers he'll face, the Astros project to start Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 6.20 ERA) on Friday and Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.75 ERA) on Saturday before Spencer Arrighetti (2-0, 2.45 ERA) closes things out in the finale. Interestingly enough, Grichuk isn't overly familiar with any of those names.

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Daikin Park. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

According to Baseball Savant, Grichuk went hitless in his first and only career at-bat against McCullers. Having said that, the two-time World Series-winning righty has surrendered 10 earned runs and two homers in his last 9 1/3 innings, so if there's a chance for Grichuk to regain confidence off one of the Astros' most accomplished pitchers, now is the time.

As for Burrows and Arrighetti, Grichuk has yet to face them in his career. Much like McCullers, Burrows has allowed 10 ERs in his last two games, as well as a putrid 12.2 hits per nine innings all season. Arrighetti has been the Astros' best arm so far and hasn't shown much weakness; however, he's picked up four losses in his last nine home games, indicating that playing in Houston won't give him an edge.

With the Astros' upcoming starters showing various degrees of vulnerability, the door is open for Grichuk to make a last-minute push to save his job. He's already shown that he can go on hot streaks this season, and picking up some hits while knocking in runs this weekend would give the Yankees something to think about, potentially convincing them to delay Volpe's return.

Whatever the outcome will be, New York fans will be watching closely, leaving it up to Grichuk to give general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone reason to extend his Yankees tenure.