Volpe leans on Judge, focused on what he can control in Yanks return

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Aaron Judge could hear it in Anthony Volpe’s voice almost immediately. This was not going to be a quick phone call.

Volpe had just been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and as the Yankees captain listened from hundreds of miles away, he heard a young player struggling to process disappointment and frustration.

“Just take care of business; that’s really all it is,” Judge said. “There’s been a lot of questions, a lot of stuff going on with that -- circling with the media. But the biggest thing is, block out the noise. Just go out there and play your game.”

The Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop in each of the last three seasons, Volpe is back in the big leagues, albeit without promises.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone indicated José Caballero will reclaim starting duties at shortstop when he recovers from a right middle finger fracture. The injury is believed to be relatively minor, and Caballero has vowed to return as soon as his 10-day stint on the injured list expires.

As recently as the Yankees’ April series at Tropicana Field, general manager Brian Cashman said it had “always been the plan” for Volpe to return as the starting shortstop when his rehab from left shoulder surgery was complete.

Caballero’s consistent play changed their stance. When his Minor League rehab clock expired, Volpe found himself preparing to play a road game with the RailRiders in Worcester, Mass. instead of dressing in the Bronx.

At that time, Volpe heard from numerous teammates in addition to Judge, among them infielder Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and catcher Austin Wells.

“That meant the world,” Volpe said, “because we went to war together for a good amount of time. We’ve been through a lot. So for them to just make sure I’m good, make sure I’m still working and make me feel like I’m part of it, even when I wasn’t -- it meant a lot.”

Boone said he connected with Volpe shortly after the move was decided upon, sensing both disappointment and disagreement.

“We had a difficult decision to make,” Boone said. “We just felt like it was the right thing to do at that time. Cabby had certainly earned more of the everyday reps, so we were just dealing with the reality in that moment. I tried to be as honest about that as possible.”

Then came the lengthy phone call with Judge, who usually prefers to guard behind-the-scenes details of his role as team captain. Volpe is a different case: a homegrown Yankee who is well-liked in the clubhouse, and whom Judge has spent time with during the offseason.

“I gave him a call once I got home, before I was eating dinner, just to check on him and see what they said,” Judge said. “How are you feeling, what’s going on? How’s the shoulder feeling, really? We talked for 30, 40 minutes. And I told him I’d check in with him later in the week.”

Volpe is eager to reset after an underwhelming 2025 campaign, in which he batted .212 with a .663 OPS and 19 homers, 72 RBIs and 18 stolen bases, committing 19 errors.

Chisholm said he believes Volpe will show his critics that he’s capable of more.

“He’s a tough kid,” Chisholm said. “He played a whole season injured, sticking his butt out there for the team. He could’ve easily sat down a whole year last year and got his shoulder right, but he went out there and stuck it out for us, and we made the playoffs. That should show you how tough he is.

“… It’s been tough being hurt and trying to come back from what he’s going through. But we know he’s built for this. We both think he’s going to be great.”

Going hitless in his first game of the season on Wednesday, Volpe had company, as Kyle Bradish and three Orioles relievers held the Yankees to just one hit in a 7-0 loss. He also flubbed a routine grounder late in the game for an error.

The Subway Series against the Mets at Citi Field will bring more opportunities, which Volpe welcomes. He has already seen the Yankees’ plans change once already this season. He understands they can change again.

“If I’ve learned anything out of all this, it’s that there’s things I can control and things I can’t,” Volpe said.