Yankees Rumors

AL East Notes: ALDS, Rodriguez, Weaver, Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | October 5, 2025 at 7:02pm CDT

The Blue Jays hold a 2-0 lead in the ALDS after a 13-7 win over the Yankees today. Toronto has torched the Yankees for 23 runs over the two games, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-5 with a grand slam) and Daulton Varsho (4-for-5 with two homers and two doubles) doing the most damage today with four RBI apiece. Max Fried was charged with seven earned runs over three-plus innings in a disastrous outing for the Yankees ace.

New York’s lineup came to life with seven late runs against Toronto’s bullpen, after Jays starter Trey Yesavage was nothing short of dominant. In just his fourth career outing in the majors, Yesavage allowed only a walk over 5 1/3 hitless innings, with 11 strikeouts — the most K’s from any Blue Jays pitcher in a postseason game. The decision to pull Yesavage after 78 pitches seemed to be based on a desire to keep Yesavage from facing Yankees batters a third time, and to potentially keep Yesavage fresh for usage later in the series. Of course, the Yankees can only hope that there will even be a “later in the series,” as the Jays are just one win away from advancing to the ALCS. Game 3 is on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Poll: Who Will Win The Wild Card Series?

By Mark Polishuk | September 28, 2025 at 8:14pm CDT

The 2025 regular season is in the books, and the baseball world is now gearing up for what might be a wild postseason. It took until Game 162 to finalize the full slate of playoff teams and matchups, but now we know the eight clubs who will take part in the wild card round that begins on Tuesday, as “October baseball” gets started a bit early this year on September 30. All WCS matchups are best-of-three, and will take place entirely in the home ballpark of the higher-seeded team.

The Guardians will meet the Tigers again after Cleveland posted a 5-1 record against Detroit over a pair of series in the last two weeks, contributing to the AL Central’s epic shakeup. The Tigers held a 9.5-game lead in the division before going 3-13 over their last 16 games to barely eke out a wild card slot. The Guards, meanwhile, went 19-4 over their final 23 games to overtake Detroit and claim Cleveland’s third division title in the last four years.

After all of that, the two clubs find themselves facing off in the postseason for the second straight year. The Guardians needed the full five games to oust Detroit in the 2024 AL Division Series, as last season the Tigers were the team surging into the playoffs after a late-season hot streak. All of the momentum is on the Guardians’ side at this point, and even though the Tigers will have Tarik Skubal going in Game 1, Cleveland’s pitching has been on such a roll that the Guards have the overall pitching advantage. The Guardians held an 8-5 record against the Tigers in regular-season play this year.

One of baseball’s greatest rivalries will be renewed again in October when the Yankees host the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Blue Jays to fall just short of the AL East crown, despite an eight-game winning streak to finish the regular season. New York’s rotation and homer-heavy offense seem to be clicking at the right time, yet the Sox had seemingly had the Yankees’ number this year, with a 9-4 record in head-to-head play.

After falling short to the Dodgers in last year’s World Series, the Yankees are eager to return the Fall Classic and finally win the first championship of the Aaron Judge era. Boston hasn’t quite been the same since Roman Anthony was lost to an oblique injury in early September and the rookie star’s status remains unclear for postseason action. However, the Red Sox have a well-rounded roster and an ace of their own in Garrett Crochet, plus the organization is hungry for postseason success in their first playoff trip since 2021.

The Cubs have also just ended a mini-drought in reaching October for the first time since the shortened 2020 season, as Chicago stepped up to win 92 games after posting 83-79 records in both 2023 and 2024. They’ll now host the Padres in the first postseason meeting between the two clubs since 1984, when San Diego fought back from a 2-0 series deficit to win a best-of-five NLCS and deny Chicago a trip to the World Series. Forty-one years later, it’s the Padres who might feel slightly more cursed at the moment, since the club has yet to advance beyond the NLCS in their three previous playoff trips in the last six seasons.

There’s plenty of pressure on the Friars to finally reach the pinnacle of this era of success, though Chicago is hoping for more than just a playoff appearance after its win-now trade for Kyle Tucker last winter. After starting 38-22, the Cubs have been more okay than elite (54-48) over the better part of the last four months. The series’ Wrigleyville locale could be impactful, as the Padres were only 38-43 on the road this season.

The Dodgers host the Reds in a matchup of two teams with very different recent postseason histories. Los Angeles has won 12 of the last 13 NL West titles, and is looking to become baseball’s first repeat World Series champ since the 1998-2000 Yankees pulled off the three-peat. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is in the playoffs for just the fifth time in the last 30 years, and the Reds haven’t won a playoff series since all the way back in 1995 — when they beat the Dodgers in the NLDS.

Winning “only” 93 games counts as a relative disappointment by the Dodgers’ standards, and the club will need to navigate an extra playoff round. This puts more pressure on the beleaguered L.A. bullpen, and Will Smith’s participation is a question mark due to a hairline fracture in his right hand. The rotation is on a roll, however, and naturally there’s a lot of built-in playoff experience for the reigning champs. The young Reds gained some seasoning in beating out the Mets for a wild card berth, and of course manager Terry Francona is no stranger to October. Cincinnati’s rotation and bullpen will need to continue their excellent form to counter Shohei Ohtani and company, and the wild card series would be a great time for the inconsistent Reds lineup to get on track.

Which four teams do you think will reach the Division Series? Vote now in our polls:

AL Notes: Naylor, Chisholm Jr., Altuve, Cowser

By AJ Eustace | September 28, 2025 at 9:50am CDT

Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor was removed from Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Dodgers due to groin tightness, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Manager Dan Wilson described the move as precautionary, which is quite a relief for M’s fans as they gear up for the postseason. Naylor has been one of the team’s best hitters since being acquired from the Diamondbacks in July, batting .299/.341/.490 triple in 54 games with his new club. He has also been a positive on defense, posting five Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average at first base.

It makes sense for Seattle to play it safe with Naylor’s health. The team has already clinched the No. 2 playoff seed in the American League, which gives them a first-round bye through the Wild Card Series. Their first game is set for Saturday, October 4, against either the Guardians or the Tigers. With a week off until then, the club wants to make sure Naylor is at full strength for what will hopefully be a deep postseason run.

Some more notes from around the Junior Circuit…

Initial x-rays on Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. were negative, and he is set to undergo a CT scan as well, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Chisholm was removed from yesterday’s 6-1 victory over the Orioles after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 27-year-old is having a great year for New York, posting a .243/.333/.482 triple slash that rates as 27% better than league average by wRC+ while continuing to provide good defense at the keystone. Heading into their final regular season game, the Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East, although they have clinched a postseason spot regardless. With that in mind, the club may give Chisholm the day off to rest up before a potential Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve told Chandler Rome of the Athletic that his right foot injury “is pretty painful,” adding that he “had no choice but to go out there and play.” Houston had been fighting for the last AL Wild Card spot recently, but with the Guardians defeating the Rangers 3-2 yesterday, the Astros were eliminated from postseason contention. Altuve has hit .265/.329/.442 in his age-35 season, good for a 113 wRC+, but his defense has graded out poorly. In addition to 66 games at the keystone with -8 DRS, he has also spent significant time in left field, earning -10 DRS in 47 games there. According to Rome, Altuve will meet with doctors to discuss his next steps, though it is unclear if surgery is on the table.
Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser played through two broken ribs which he incurred back in June, according to Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. The 25-year-old previously missed time due to a thumb fracture as well as a concussion. Regarding this additional injury, he explained that even though he felt good enough to play, he was “still trying to find [his] way back” performance-wise. In 91 games this year, Cowser has batted just .198/.272/.390 with an 85 wRC+, with the injuries undoubtedly affecting his performance. Baltimore is out of postseason contention, so Cowser will look toward the offseason to get back to full strength in order to help his team in 2026.

Yankees, Mets Discussed Grisham-For-Baty Trade At Deadline

By Mark Polishuk | September 27, 2025 at 8:39am CDT

Prior to the trade deadline, the Yankees and Mets had some talks about a swap that would’ve generated a ton of headlines in both the Big Apple and around baseball. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the two New York teams explored a one-for-one deal that would’ve sent Trent Grisham to Queens in exchange for Brett Baty.

Aaron Judge’s health situation was a major component in these trade discussions, and the Yankees’ entire deadline direction. Judge hurt his elbow while making a throw from right field on July 22, and the discomfort continued when the star outfielder was clearly having some issues throwing in the Bronx Bombers’ 12-5 loss to the Phillies on July 25. A trip to the 10-day injured list followed, and Judge was limited to DH duty for over a month after returning from that fairly minimal IL stint.

Importantly, however, Judge’s elbow issue was minor a flexor strain that came without any UCL damage. The initial fear was that Judge’s UCL was damaged to the point that a season-ending Tommy John surgery would’ve been required, and obviously losing their superstar would’ve completely altered the Yankees’ deadline plans. As Martino put it, the Yankees had “a thought about selling” in the few days when Judge’s health situation was uncertain, which would’ve translated as the Bombers shopping pending free agents. An NL scout told Martino in late July that the Yankees were at least open to offers for Grisham, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger (who is expected to opt out of the final season of his contract to test the market).

It shouldn’t be overlooked that the Yankees had a losing record (25-27) over June and July, so even with Judge firing on all cylinders, the club was in the midst of an extended slump as the deadline approached. Losing their first five games in August added to the team’s woes, but the Yankees fully righted the ship by mid-August, going 28-11 over their last 39 games. With two days left in the regular season, New York can still both capture both the AL East and the top overall seed in the AL playoff bracket, if the team can finish with a better record than the Blue Jays (since Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker).

Grisham has been a big part of that surge, continuing what has been a career year for the 28-year-old outfielder. Grisham is hitting .238/.349/.469 over 573 plate appearances, along with a total of 34 home runs that far exceeds his previous career high of 17. In a strange reversal of his career norm, Grisham has gone from being a defensive standout with an average-at-best bat to being a slugging center fielder whose glovework (-11 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average) has been a minus.

Even if the Yankees had sold some rental players at the deadline, it wasn’t going to be a fire sale. The team was still looking to win and upgrade the 2025 roster, just in a way that perhaps focused more towards the future than making a direct all-in push towards a World Series this year. Landing a controllable former top prospect in Baty would have fit the bill, and the Bombers viewed him as an answer at third base, even though he has gotten a lot of time as the Mets’ second baseman this year.

Now in his fourth MLB season, Baty’s 110 wRC+ represents a career best, and he has hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs over 432 PA. Baty has come about these numbers in inconsistent fashion, and the Mets even demoted him to Triple-A early in the season after an ice-cold start. While these may not yet be the numbers Queens fans expected given Baty’s lofty prospect status, becoming a solid big league regular is no small feat, and Baty’s latest hot streak has quietly made him one of the more productive hitters in baseball over the last six weeks.

The Mets were reportedly open to trading from their young infield depth at the deadline, with Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuna all available for the right offer. As it turned out, the Mets ended up primarily trading from their minor league pitching depth when making their pre-deadline moves, though infield prospect Jesus Baez was a prominent part of the trade package sent to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley.

Rather than Grisham, the Mets addressed their outfield by acquiring Cedric Mullins from the Orioles in a trade that simply hasn’t worked out. Mullins (who is also a free agent this winter) has hit only .183/.286/.283 over 142 PA in a Mets uniform, playing as the regular center fielder against right-handed pitching. As for the Yankees, they held onto their impending free agents, and brought in a collection of veterans at the deadline to bolster the roster. For third base in particular, Ryan McMahon was brought over from the Rockies and has at least stabilized the position from a defensive standpoint, even if McMahon isn’t hitting.

Naturally every deadline season goes by with countless eye-opening trades that didn’t come to fruition, so there’s no shortage of 20-20 hindsight that can be applied to any of these proposed deals. In this particular Grisham-for-Baty swap, there’s some additional interest just due to the fact that the Yankees and Mets rarely trade with each other, not to mention the sliding-doors nature of what this trade might have done to each team’s season.

While the Yankees have been rolling in September, the Mets’ struggles have now reached critical mass, as the Amazins sit outside the NL postseason picture with two games remaining. The Reds have a magic number of 2 for clinching the final NL wild card slot, since Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker over New York should the two teams finish with the same record.

With just a 20-31 record since August 1, the Mets’ deadline approach has already come under fire, even if Mullins’ struggles are far from the only reason the club has slumped. It can be argued that in the world where Baty was dealt for Grisham, the Mets might still be in this same position, given Baty’s recent contributions and the fact that pitching has been the larger issue in Queens. Hanging onto Baty may prove fruitful in the long run, but it won’t do much to ease the immediate dismay of Mets fans (or the organization itself) since their record payroll may not even result in a postseason trip.

Luke Weaver Open To Rotation Opportunities In Free Agency

By Steve Adams | September 22, 2025 at 11:22am CDT

Luke Weaver has been one of the Yankees’ best low-cost pickups in recent memory. Originally landing in the Bronx via a Sept. 2023 waiver claim, Weaver pitched well in three starts for the Yankees down the stretch that year and made a good enough impression that the Yanks re-signed him to a major league deal in January after he’d become a free agent. He moved to the bullpen in 2024 and made his $2MM base salary look like a raucous bargain. The Yankees made the no-brainer call to pick up a $2.5MM option on Weaver for the 2025 season, and while he hasn’t been as good as he was in ’24, he’s still been a key member of the relief corps.

Weaver is slated to return to free agency for a second time this offseason, and he’ll do so with much higher stock than last time around. The 32-year-old figures to be one of the top relievers on the market … unless he follows the same path as former teammate Clay Holmes and signs with an eye toward moving back into a rotation. The extent to which teams around the league will have interest in that scenario remains to be seen, but when asked about the possibility, Weaver himself told Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post on their podcast that he’s open to the idea:

“For so long, being a starting pitcher — you don’t expect to be a reliever. Being a starting pitcher, honestly, has got to be the best job in the big leagues — especially when it’s going well. But, I just found this niche. I just found this ability to do something a little bit different and use my background of starting to channel it into how I pitch now.

…The door is open. I am never just going to say, ’Absolutely not.’ When the time comes, let’s talk about it. Clay has done a great job this year in that transition. I don’t know what people are saying, but I’ve watched from afar, and I’m proud of him. That’s a really cool thing that he’s done. The transition, I don’t think people truly understand — that’s crazy. To do it as consistent as he has, I commend him. It’s cool to see that it’s possible, too. We see it happening from time to time now. Teams are being a little more strategic. So, yes, I’m very much open to it, but I also am not just like, ’Yeah I want to go do that,’ or, ’Yeah I want to go do this.’ Let’s sit at the table. Let’s have a conversation and see what that looks like and what best [puts me in position] to be the most successful. I would like to have those options if they are there.”

Weaver began his career as a starter and enjoyed plenty of early success. The former Florida State standout was the No. 27 overall pick by the Cardinals in 2014 and was in the big leagues just two years later. His debut effort was rocky, but in 2017, Weaver made 10 starts (and three relief appearances) for the Cardinals in a season that saw him pitch 60 1/3 innings of 3.88 ERA ball. He pitched 136 1/3 innings in 2018 and scuffled a bit, logging a 4.95 ERA, before coheadlining (alongside Carson Kelly) the Diamondbacks’ return for Paul Goldschmidt, who was traded to St. Louis one year ahead of his first crack at free agency.

In 2019, Weaver looked to be in a full-fledged breakout with Arizona. He started a dozen games and pitched 64 1/3 innings with a 2.94 earned run average, a 26.5% strikeout rate and a 5.4% walk rate. A flexor strain wiped out nearly two-thirds of his season, however, and when Weaver returned during the shortened 2020 season, the right-hander struggled badly. Weaver made a full slate of 12 starts and notched solid strikeout and walk rates, but he was also immensely homer-prone (1.73 HR/9) and limped to a 6.58 ERA in just 52 innings.

Shoulder and elbow injuries plagued Weaver each season from 2021-23. He posted a combined 5.80 ERA in 225 innings between four teams across those three seasons but, as previously noted, impressed the Yankees down the stretch. Heyman noted within the podcast that Weaver’s opportunities that offseason included a major league deal to return to the Yankees, a series of minor league deals with spring training invitations, or some options overseas. He chose to sign with the Yankees on that one-year contract, and he’s been reborn in the Bronx.

Through 145 1/3 innings out of Aaron Boone’s bullpen, Weaver has pitched to a 3.28 ERA with a 29.6% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate, a 32.2% ground-ball rate and 1.24 HR/9. The 93.8 mph he averaged on his four-seamer as a starting pitcher earlier in his career has spiked to 95.4 mph in short relief. He’s mostly scrapped his former mid-80s slider in favor of a harder, firmer cutter in the low 90s and worked off a four-seam/changeup/cutter mix that’s served him quite well.

That three-pitch mix, at least on the surface, would seemingly give Weaver a decent chance to transition back to rotation work. He’s the same age now that Holmes was when he reached free agency last winter. On the other hand, Holmes’ 6’5″, 245-pound frame is more in line with the prototypical starting pitcher than Weaver’s more slight, 6’2″, 180-pound frame. That’s not to say that Weaver can’t make a similar transition, but that leaner build is less common among starting pitchers, who tend to skew a bit on the larger side (which is only natural, given the physical demands of a starter’s workload).

Regardless, Weaver could well draw some interest as an under-the-radar rotation candidate this winter. Many of the expected top names in free agency have struggled this year, whether that’s with injuries or just lesser results than one might’ve expected on Opening Day. Dylan Cease, Michael King, Zac Gallen, Zach Eflin, Nestor Cortes, Walker Buehler and Dustin May are just some of the many pitchers whose platform year for free agency hasn’t gone as hoped. Weaver could present an intriguing alternative, particularly since he’s demonstrated that he can have success in a short relief role if stretching him back out doesn’t go according to plan.

Weaver made clear that he’s very interested in re-signing with the Yankees as well, but he’ll see what all of his opportunities look like in free agency this winter. His openness to stretching back out should lead to an even wider field of teams who are potentially interested and give him even more possibilities to consider. For now, the righty’s focus is understandably on the present and on pushing as deep into the postseason as possible, but he’ll be a far more fascinating free agent to track in the winter of 2025-26 than in 2023-24.

Fans — Yankees fans in particular — will want to check out the full interview, during which Weaver discusses (among many other topics) the rigors of trying to be available as often as possible, some pivotal differences in a pitcher’s mindset depending on the situations they’re facing, and his thoughts on the AL MVP race between two of his close friends: Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh.

Rays Acquire Marshall Toole As PTBNL From José Caballero Trade

By Darragh McDonald | September 17, 2025 at 3:25pm CDT

Outfield prospect Marshall Toole is heading from the Yankees to the Rays, according to announcements from both clubs. He is the player to be named later from the deadline deal which sent José Caballero to the Yankees and Everson Pereira to the Rays. Toole wasn’t on the Yankees’ 40-man roster and therefore doesn’t need to take up a spot with the Rays.

Toole, 22, was a 15th-round pick of the Yankees in last year’s draft. Since that selection, he has played in 113 Single-A games, stepping to the plate 441 times. His 20.6% strikeout rate thus far is decent while his 15.2% walk rate is quite strong. His .298/.413/.462 batting line translates to a 148 wRC+. He has also stolen 52 bases in 60 tries.

Those are obviously some nice numbers but there are some caveats. That offensive production includes just six home runs and is being propped up by a massive .380 batting average on balls in play. Toole is also a bit old for his level and will face stiffer competition as he moves up the ladder. He’s not currently listed as one of the top 30 prospect in the Yankee system by Baseball America nor MLB Pipeline.

Put all together and it feels like a very Rays-style pickup, a player without a huge profile but one with some interesting tools. The club has turned a few such players into decent big league contributors over the years. Perhaps the same could be true of Toole but he’s likely a few years away since he still has to climb a few more rungs of the minor league ladder. He won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until December of 2027.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Cashman: Yankees “Believe In” Anthony Volpe Despite “Tough Stretch”

By Mark Polishuk | September 14, 2025 at 5:08pm CDT

Anthony Volpe’s underwhelming season has made the shortstop a topic of controversy in the Bronx, and more attention was generated this week when it was revealed that Volpe has been playing with a small tear in his left shoulder labrum since May 3. Trying to play through this shoulder problem has clearly impacted Volpe’s performance — not only has he hit .197/.248/.378 in 418 plate appearances since suffering the injury, Volpe’s formerly excellent defense has drastically fallen off.

Speaking with ESPN’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters on Friday, Yankees GM Brian Cashman noted Volpe’s “tough stretch” and said that “this isn’t the season we expected or he expected.” That said, Cashman gave a vote of confidence to Volpe, saying that the 2025 season “doesn’t change our viewpoint of what he’s capable of,” and that he is still the Yankees’ choice at shortstop going forward.

“He’s someone that we can count on and we believe in….I think he’s a really talented guy and I think he has a chance to be a positive impact, obviously,” Cashman said.

Volpe was hitting significantly better (.239/.333/.453) in his first 135 plate appearances of the season pre-injury, so it could be that his labrum tear prevented a potential breakout year. Still, Volpe’s full-season numbers aren’t far off the .228/.288/.373 slash line he posted over 1290 PA in his first two Major League seasons, so it isn’t as if struggles at the plate are a new problem for the 24-year-old.

Outsized expectations have followed Volpe ever since his emergence as one of baseball’s top prospects, and the Yankees’ decision to debut him as their Opening Day shortstop in 2023. While the team itself has always been quick to downplay the “next Derek Jeter” hype, the Yankees’ immediate installation of Volpe in an everyday role has stood in stark contrast to the club’s more infrequent usage of most other top minor leaguers in recent years. If anything, Volpe’s critics are sure to argue that Cashman’s continued confidence in Volpe is part of the problem, and that the Yankees should be more open to upgrading at shortstop.

While Cashman has made some rather blunt critiques of other New York players in the past, it only makes sense for the GM to continue his public support of Volpe, and there isn’t any reason to yet suspect that the Yankees aren’t viewing Volpe’s rough year as anything but a by-product of his shoulder injury. Since Volpe is only entering arbitration eligibility this coming offseason, his three remaining years of pretty inexpensive team control make him an intriguing asset on a team loaded with big salaries and a hefty luxury tax bill. If Volpe is able to get healthy and break out as, in Cashman’s words, “a quality, above-average regular shortstop in the game,” that’s a major boost for the Yankees on every front.

Still, finding another inexpensive shortstop candidate could change the equation, and one such player may have already been found in Jose Caballero. Acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline, Caballero has hit .263/.358/.439 in 68 PA in the pinstripes, which far and away represents the best offensive stretch of his three MLB seasons. The utilityman has also pitched in at both corner outfield slots, second base, and third base, but most of Caballero’s time has come at shortstop in the wake of Volpe’s increased missed time.

Volpe hasn’t played since Tuesday after receiving a cortisone shot in his ailing shoulder, paving the way for Caballero to step into regular shortstop duty. Boone told Castillo and company that “we’ll see” about who plays shortstop when Volpe is ready to return, which hints that the Yankees could be considering a timeshare at the position.

The longer-term issue of Volpe’s health is also a lingering question. Cashman said more will be known once Volpe receives more tests, and while the GM “wouldn’t rule…out” an offseason surgery, “as of right now, there’s no surgery recommended. There’s not even an IL recommended.” Should Volpe indeed end up going under the knife, he’d very likely miss some time and perhaps an extended amount of the 2026 season, leaving the Yankees in need of another shortstop.

Anthony Volpe Playing Through Partial Labrum Tear

By Darragh McDonald | September 11, 2025 at 11:55pm CDT

Anthony Volpe has been the Yankees’ regular shortstop for close to three years now. Lately, he has struggled enough that José Caballero has taken some playing time. It’s possible that health is playing a role in Volpe’s downturn. He injured his left shoulder back in early May. Today, 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 yesterday.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media before tonight’s game and provided more details, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Boone confirmed the report of the cortisone shot and said Volpe has a small labrum tear in his shoulder. When the injury was discovered in May, they believed it was an old injury that he could play through. He has since aggravated it multiple times, including on Sunday. He also had a cortisone shot during the All-Star break, per Kuty. The Yanks don’t believe he needs an IL stint now. He will have another MRI after the season.

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.”

Greg Joyce of The New York Post writes that the Yankees have consistently downplayed the shoulder injury even though Volpe is usually wrapped up in ice after most games. Just yesterday, Boone brushed off the problem, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

“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.”

As noted by Sherman, there’s a stark contrast between Volpe’s pre- and post-injury numbers. On May 4th, 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, it’s possible there’s been a shift. Caballero has started in place of Volpe in two of the past five games. It’s possible the cortisone shot leads to Volpe missing some more time, as players usually require a few days’ rest after receiving such injections.

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 Red Sox, Mariners, Rangers, Guardians, Royals and Rays. The Yanks are also surely hoping to chase down the 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 glovework 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.

Photo courtesy of John Jones, Imagn Images

Anthony Rizzo Retires

By Steve Adams and Darragh McDonald | September 10, 2025 at 11:59pm CDT

The Cubs have announced that Anthony Rizzo will retire as a Cub and will be honored this Saturday at Wrigley Field as the club hosts the Rays. He will also serve as an ambassador for the organization. Jesse Rogers of ESPN was among those to relay the news.

Rizzo, now 36, was part of a few different organizations in his career but will always be primarily known as a Cub. He spent the bulk of his career, including essentially all of his prime, in Chicago. That stretch saw him emerge as a core piece as the team became a regular contender in the last half of the previous decade. The highlight came in 2016, when the Cubs finally won the World Series, breaking a 108-year drought.

There was talk of a potential dynasty on Chicago’s north side after that year, as that young core of Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Jorge Soler was controllable, affordable and formidable. The top of the rotation appeared set for years, with Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks all squarely in their primes and signed/controlled long-term. The Cubs indeed were competitive on a yearly basis for the remainder of the decade, but they fell to the Dodgers in the 2017 NLCS and haven’t advanced beyond the Wild Card round of postseason play since.

Before that legendary run, Rizzo had to pass through a few other places first. He was drafted by the Red Sox out of high school back in 2007. After a few years in Boston’s minor league system, he was flipped to the Padres as one of the players in the December 2010 deal that sent Adrián González to the Sox.

Rizzo got to make his big league debut with the Friars in 2011 but didn’t hit the ground running. He stepped to the plate 153 times over 49 games but struck out 30.1% of the time and produced a .141/.281/.242 line.

Going into 2012, the Padres decided to go in a different direction. They sent Mat Latos to the Reds for four players, one of whom was Yonder Alonso. With Alonso set to cover first base in San Diego, they then sent Rizzo and right-hander Zach Cates to the Cubs for righty Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

That gambit clearly didn’t pan out for San Diego. While Cashner had some modest success with the Padres, Alonso never found his power stroke at Petco Park and wound up delivering average offense over parts of four seasons. Yasmani Grandal, also acquired in that swap, struggled in San Diego before being sent to the Dodgers as part of the Matt Kemp trade.

Meanwhile, as all that played out, Rizzo broke out as one of the top first basemen in Major League Baseball. In parts of 10 seasons with the Cubs from 2012-21, Rizzo batted a combined .272/.372/.489 with 242 home runs. He made three All-Star teams, won four Gold Gloves, won a Silver Slugger and garnered MVP votes in five consecutive seasons — including a pair of consecutive fourth-place finishes in 2015-16, when he posted a combined .285/.386/.528 batting line (145 wRC+) and belted 63 home runs (31 in ’15, 32 in ’16). Rizzo struggled in the 2016 NLDS but erupted in both the NLCS and World Series, belting three homers and five doubles with an OPS north of 1.000 between those two series.

As that Cubs core continued to stall out over the years, however, the front office eventually determined there was a need for change. Rizzo, Bryant and Baez were all traded in the summer of 2021 — Baez to the Mets, Bryant to the Giants and Rizzo to the Yankees. Rizzo hit well for the Yankees down the stretch and stepped into a key leadership role, all of which convinced the team to re-sign him to a two-year deal with an option for a third season.

Rizzo went on to spend the final three full seasons of his career in the Bronx, hitting well in 2022 before slipping to about average in 2023 and struggling through injuries in 2024. His time in New York wasn’t nearly as productive, but he logged an overall .234/.326/.409 line as a Yankee and popped 32 home runs in his first full season in pinstripes.

All told, Rizzo’s excellent career will wrap up with a lifetime .261/.361/.467 batting line. He hit 303 home runs in the majors, scored 922 runs, plated 965 runs and even swiped 72 bases. Rizzo is one of just 164 players in major league history to reach 300 career home runs. His 338 doubles rank 352nd all-time, tied with Brady Anderson, Matt Williams, Robin Ventura and the aforementioned Kemp.

Rizzo also tallied 241 postseason plate appearances, and while his .225/.328/.397 line doesn’t stand up to his regular-season excellence, that’s skewed by a brutal showing in the 2015 playoffs. Starting with that NLCS breakout in ’16, Rizzo hit .260/.367/.455 in his final 180 turns at the plate in the playoffs.

Through an early-career extension with the Cubs and a free-agent deal to re-sign with the Yankees in the 2021-22 offseason, Rizzo earned more than $127MM in salary over parts of 14 seasons. FanGraphs valued his career at 35.9 wins above replacement, while Baseball-Reference is even more bullish at 40.4 WAR. Rizzo isn’t likely to be Cooperstown-bound, but he’ll be remembered as a cornerstone piece in an iconic era of Cubs franchise lore and a solid veteran pickup who helped drive some competitive Yankees clubs. Best wishes to Rizzo and his family in whatever the next chapter holds.

AL East Notes: Abreu, Kremer, Sugano, Goldschmidt

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 2:19pm CDT

Wilyer Abreu was (retroactively) placed on the 10-day injured list on August 18 due to a right calf strain, and some eyebrows were raised last Sunday when both Abreu and Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have any sort of timeline in place for the outfielder’s return, other than Abreu stressing that he wanted to “be ready for the playoffs.” Some literal steps in the right direction were taken this weekend when Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters that Abreu took part in running activities on both Friday and Saturday.

Cora described the drills as “the start of the progression,” and noted that Abreu “wasn’t at full speed.” The skipper didn’t have any more details about when Abreu could be tapped for a minor league rehab assignment or an activation from the IL. While naturally the Red Sox won’t rush Abreu for fear of re-aggravating his injury, there is some increased urgency to bolster the outfield now that Roman Anthony’s regular season has possibly been ended by an oblique strain. What was once an overcrowded outfield picture in Boston has been thinned out by the loss of two regulars, leaving the Sox with a Rob Refsnyder/Nate Eaton timeshare in right field since Anthony’s IL placement.

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