The New York Yankees made it official. Anthony Volpe will not only be on the opening day roster but will be the teams opening day shortstop.
The video of Anthony Volpe finding out he made the team is just as awesome as you'd expect pic.twitter.com/CFlGsDM8NZ
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) March 26, 2023
The 21-year old Volpe is the fifth Yankee to make his major-league debut at 21 years or younger, joining Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Ben Chapman and Frankie Crosetti. 20-year old Derek Jeter is still the youngest player to make his MLB debut with the Yankees.
Volpe was simply a force during exhibition play, batting .314 (16-for-51) in 17 Grapefruit League games, with a 1.064 OPS, six doubles, a triple, three homers, eight walks and five stolen bases in five attempts.
Anthony Volpe swats a Pablo Lopez sweeper waaaay out to center field for a home run pic.twitter.com/Ba6znCRYhQ
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) March 24, 2023
Volpe did not enter camp as the favorite to win the regular shortstop job. That was Oswald Peraza who was the consensus pick based on having big-league experience in 2022.
Peraza Headed to Triple A
The 22-year old Peraza batted .190 (8-for-42) with a .616 OPS in the spring and will begin the year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. According to the team it wasn’t as much a performance issue but rather a desire by the Yankees to get him daily AB’s. New York has a surplus of infielders including last year’s Opening Day shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa who will play a utility role.
Yankees Injury Update
The Yankees brought fans current on the plethora of injuries facing the Bronx Bombers this spring.
Right-hander Luis Severino experienced tightness following his March 21 exhibition start and was shut down from throwing until. He’ll miss at least one regular season start, but suggested he could miss three or four turns due to the calendar.
Rodon to Return Sooner than Later
Carlos Rodon could be back as early as mid-to-late April. Tests showed a mild strain of the brachioradialis, an official diagnosis of something Rodon said he pitched through with the San Francisco Giants last May. He’s been throwing in the bullpen since March 23.
Tommy Kahnle’s bad injury luck continues
He suffered a setback once he resumed throwing in mid-March, delaying his recovery by a few weeks. Kahnle, who dealt with a similar issue in 2018, hasn’t played in a Grapefruit League game this spring. He could be back in May.
Bad News for Fast Frankie
The worst of the injury news was on Frankie Montas who isn’t expected to return until late in the season. He endured shoulder issues in 2022 but was shut down again after being unable to make it through an offseason program. Montas eventually had surgery Feb. 21 to clean up his labrum and admits that wasn’t 100 percent at any point after his trade to the Yankees from Oakland last summer.
Bader’s 2023 debut delayed
Outfielder Harrison Bader was injured on a swing during a March 8 exhibition game against his former club, the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s doing rotational exercises and is facing a six-week recovery.
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