The Yankees are weighing a late-season wrinkle on the infield dirt, with Anthony Volpe emerging as a possible option at third base while New York lines up its roster for October.
Manager Aaron Boone said Volpe’s work at the position in Triple-A opened the door to a Major League look. Volpe, long identified as a shortstop, tried third from Aug. 4 through Sept. 9 in the Minors and told the club he was comfortable there.
“He felt good about playing down there,” Boone said, adding that the Yankees are likely to explore the possibility.
Volpe has never appeared at third base in the Majors. He has recently been helping at second base while Jazz Chisholm Jr. was sidelined, but the Yankees’ alignment has shifted since rookie George Lombard Jr. arrived in August. Lombard, who had played some third base in the Minors, has taken over as the regular shortstop.
Infield picture takes shape
Boone said Lombard will remain at shortstop, while Chisholm is expected to return to second base after rejoining the lineup Tuesday. Chisholm has 74 career Major League games at third, though none have come this season.
Third base has largely belonged to Ryan McMahon, with Amed Rosario and José Caballero also receiving work there. Giving Volpe another defensive lane could offer Boone added flexibility as the Yankees navigate the final stretch and build a postseason bench.
Grisham and Stanton heading to Somerset
The Yankees also received encouraging news on several injured players as Aaron Judge deals with a right calf strain that could keep him out beyond the Wild Card Series.
Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton were scheduled to report to Double-A Somerset on Wednesday for live at-bats with the club’s stay-ready group. Grisham has been out since Sept. 5 with a right hamstring strain, but has advanced well into his running program and remains in the postseason conversation.
Stanton, sidelined since April by a left calf strain, has also moved forward after an earlier setback this month threatened to end his season. The live hitting work represents another important step for the veteran slugger as the Yankees assess whether he can return in time to help.
Cruz back on the mound
Right-hander Fernando Cruz threw a bullpen session, his first since an MRI revealed a partial tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament. Boone said Cruz is progressing well, though the Yankees have not set a target date for his return.
For a club managing injuries at the top of the lineup and throughout the pitching staff, the closing weeks may bring as much roster sorting as scoreboard watching. Volpe’s potential move across the diamond is now part of that larger October puzzle.
