Anthony Volpe has been the New York Yankees’ regular shortstop for close to three years now. Lately, he has struggled enough that José Caballero has taken some playing time. Health may be playing a role in Volpe’s downturn. He injured his left shoulder back in early May. On Thursday, Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that the shoulder discomfort has lingered since then and Volpe received a cortisone shot in that shoulder on Wednesday.

At the time of that injury, Volpe said he heard a “pop” in his shoulder but quickly felt better. 

“It happened quick and it was scary, but after that, I felt OK and I felt like I had my strength,” Volpe said at the time. “I’ve never really had anything else pop or dislocate or anything like that, so I have nothing to compare it to.”

In the wake of Sherman’s report on Thursday, Greg Joyce of The New York Post adds that the Yankees have consistently downplayed the shoulder injury, even though Volpe is usually wrapped up in ice after most games. Just Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone brushed off the problem, per The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.

“I think early on after that, maybe a little bit,” the skipper said, when asked if Volpe’s shoulder has been impacting his performance. “I think it’s something that’s also improved over the course of the year. I feel like, even lately, it’s been in as good of a place as it’s been. I don’t necessarily think that’s the case, but he’s also a very tough kid and a gamer. I don’t think so, but I guess shouldn’t rule it out.”

A stark contrast in Anthony Volpe's pre-injury numbers

As noted by Sherman, there’s a stark contrast between Volpe’s pre- and post-pop numbers. On May 4, he had a .233/.326/.442 batting line. That translated to a 114 wRC+, indicating he was 14% better than league average at that point in the season. Since then, he has a .197/.248/.378 line and 70 wRC+.

It’s also possible that the injury is impacting Volpe defensively. He was credited with 15 Defensive Runs Saved in 2023 and six last year, but is at just one here in 2025. Outs Above Average is even more notable. That metric gave Volpe a +1 grade in 2023 and +14 last year, but has dropped him all the way to -9 here in 2025. Volpe made eight throwing errors in 2023 and nine last year, but already has 13 in 2025, in a smaller sample of playing time.

Despite the declining numbers, Boone has stuck by Volpe. A couple of weeks ago, the skipper said that he still considered Volpe to be the club’s shortstop while Caballero was considered a “10th man” who could bounce around to various positions in a utility capacity.

More recently, there may have been a shift. Caballero has started in place of Volpe in two of the past five games. The cortisone shot may lead to Volpe missing some more time, as players usually require a few days’ rest after receiving such injections.

What Anthony Volpe's injury means for Yankees' playoff hopes

On the one hand, it’s somewhat encouraging that Volpe’s struggles have a possible explanation. On the other hand, it’s a less-than-ideal situation at this time of year when every game is meaningful. The Yanks currently hold a wild-card spot, but they are in a tight battle with clubs like the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. The Yanks are also surely hoping to chase down the Toronto Blue Jays for the division lead, currently trailing by just three games.

Sending Volpe to the injured list or simply sitting him for a few games could perhaps help his shoulder woes a bit, but that would leave the club a bit thinner at shortstop as they play meaningful games. There would also be the risk of Volpe getting rusty after a layoff and not having time to get into a better groove.

For now, it seems Caballero could benefit from a bit more playing time. He has a solid .239/.345/.413 line since being acquired at the deadline, but he has a career .226/.313/.335 slash and 89 wRC+. Even if his hitting is subpar, his glove work is good, and he’s one of the top base stealers in the majors. If Volpe does require a stint on the IL, the Yanks could perhaps recall Braden Shewmake to serve as a glove-first backup to Caballero.