Orthopedic Surgeon Shares Positive Outlook for Yankees SS Anthony Volpe

When Opening Day 2026 rolls around, the New York Yankees will likely have someone other than Anthony Volpe playing shortstop. Volpe underwent surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his left non-throwing shoulder. According to general manager Brian Cashman, the Yankees hope Volpe will be “ready sometime in April; maybe, worst-case scenario, May.”

While that’s not ideal, Volpe, 24, is expected to make a full recovery.

The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner recently spoke to Brian Schulz, an orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and the team physician for the Los Angeles Angels, for more insight on what’s next for Volpe.

‘High Probability’ of Volpe Returning to Form

Volpe initially was injured when he felt a pop in his shoulder after diving for a ball during a May 3 game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was out of the lineup the following day but resumed his everyday role until mid-September when manager Aaron Boone finally revealed the nature of Volpe’s injury.

The Yankees’ former top prospect had his worst season in the majors, slashing .212/.272/.391 in 153 games. He also committed 19 errors, tying Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story for the American League lead.

Schulz offered a relatively optimistic outlook on Volpe, saying “there’s a high probability” of Volpe returning to his pre-injury form.

“The most common setback with this surgery occurs when a player rushes back too quickly and re-injures their shoulder,” Kirschner wrote.

Yankees Differ on Impact of Volpe’s Injury

Volpe received a cortisone injection for his shoulder at the All-Star break and again in September after reaggravating the injury. Jose Caballero started nine games in his place between Sept. 5-21.

Volpe finished with 19 home runs and 72 RBI to go with 18 stolen bases, but his 1.0 fWAR was a career-low.

While Boone initially downplayed the injury, Schulz believes it was a key reason for Volpe’s struggles. To explain why, he compared Volpe’s performance before and after both cortisone injections.

Kirschner noted that Volpe’s numbers initially improved after each shot.

“If he had two positive spikes when his shoulder is feeling good, maybe it was bothering him a little bit more than what he was leading on,” Schulz said. “It seems like if you had two good responses, that would make me think that this shoulder is affecting his performance because when he’s not feeling it as much, he’s playing better.”

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