How Anthony Volpe Can Earn His Keep With Yankees Down the Stretch

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. landing on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, the New York Yankees are turning back to Anthony Volpe.

Volpe, who was sent down to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 4, has struggled to find consistency in his young major league career, especially at the plate. However, the 25-year-old has looked fantastic on both sides of the ball during this minor league reset and has been officially called back up to the majors ahead of Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Recalled INF Anthony Volpe (#11) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• Placed INF Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to 9/9) with a right thumb sprain.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 10, 2026

But even with three MLB seasons already under his belt, Volpe will be stepping into a significantly different role with the Yankees than before. The good news is that his time in Triple-A prepared him for this new challenge.

Is second base in Volpe's future?

Prior to being sent down, all of Volpe's major-league appearances came at shortstop. The Yankees are taking the same approach with George Lombard Jr., making it a priority to fully acclimate him to the position.

As a result, the only way for the Yankees to play both Lombard and Volpe would involve the latter learning a new position. So in his 28 games with the RailRiders, Volpe was primarily tested at second base. He started 19 games at second, as opposed to only six at shortstop.

Volpe handled the position change very well. He had one error in 78 total chances, while turning 14 double plays. Arm strength was a past concern for Volpe at shortstop even with his strong defensive metrics (outside of 2025), but moving to second has seemingly ameliorated that. With his excellent range and quick reaction time, Volpe's fielding should remain an asset for the Yankees.

Anthony Volpe makes a great play on a tough hop up the middle!!🔥

Volpe has been playing more and more 2B and looking more comfortable as well... pic.twitter.com/HSfyvARfMC
— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) August 15, 2026

The middling arm strength didn't stop the RailRiders from giving Volpe three starts at third base, though. In those three starts, he handled all three chances and turned a double play. It's unlikely the Yankees will utilize Volpe at third because of the arm strength issue, but it's still something worth keeping in mind.

Can Volpe's bat finally break through?

The increased defensive versatility, however, will still be meaningless if Volpe can't hit. He was highly regarded for his offensive potential as a prospect, but his bat has left much to be desired in the majors. From 2023 to 2025, the problem was poor plate discipline, while this year, Volpe's power largely tapered off (0.5% home run rate compared to 3.2% in 2025).

It is worth mentioning that Volpe played only 22 games at the Triple-A level in 2022 before becoming the Yankees' starting shortstop the following season. So when he returned to the RailRiders with over three seasons' worth of experience against MLB pitching, it shouldn't be too surprising that Volpe hit 10 home runs and slugged .642 in those 127 plate appearances.

Regardless, this was a great opportunity for Volpe to concentrate on rediscovering his previous strengths as a hitter. He's tinkered with his swing to time up pitches better, and the results at the Triple-A level are very encouraging, with consistent hard contact across the field.

Left side is from when Anthony Volpe was rehabbing in April, right side is from after his demotion in August.

Hands are higher, and he takes a little backstep before getting into his load. Could be for timing? I remember Nolan Arenado adopting that from Tulo early in his career… pic.twitter.com/3psEgSUAca
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) September 10, 2026

Volpe's role beyond 2026

If Volpe's improvements at the plate carry over to the big leagues and he continues to hold his own at other positions, then the Yankees would have an interesting dilemma on their hands.

Lombard is clearly not going anywhere, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be a free agent after the season. Meanwhile, Ryan McMahon has another year left on his contract, but hasn't been the answer at third base. This gives Volpe two possible openings in 2027.

While the simple answer would be to let Chisholm walk, his tremendous upside and noticeably improved play prior to his injury make it very difficult to let him go out the door, especially if he's open to a short-term deal that gives him the opportunity to reestablish his market value.

Additionally, Chisholm has played third base with the Yankees before. Even if his defense was not as good as it is at second base, he's better suited to the hot corner than Volpe is. From an upside perspective, the Yankees are better off keeping Chisholm and finding a way to move McMahon.

However, all of this assumes that Volpe takes advantage of this new opportunity both offensively and defensively. This could also be Volpe's last chance to prove himself, so his performance down the stretch will go a long way towards clarifying his future in the Bronx.

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