Yankees

Jazz Chisholm Goes Down, Is Anthony Volpe Coming Back to the Bronx?

By ••4 min read
Jazz Chisholm Goes Down, Is Anthony Volpe Coming Back to the Bronx?

AI Overview

Jazz Chisholm Jr. will go on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb suffered during a headfirst slide Tuesday against Colorado. With Chisholm expected to avoid baseball activity for roughly 7-10 days, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Anthony Volpe “could be” an option at second base. Volpe has played multiple infield positions in Triple-A and recently hit .524 over six games, strengthening his case for a return.

The Yankees finally got Aaron Judge back.

And basically 24 hours later, another major piece of their lineup goes down.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is headed to the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb after injuring himself on a headfirst slide into second base Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies.

So now the question becomes pretty obvious:

Is Anthony Volpe coming back to the Bronx?

Jazz Chisholm’s Injury Comes at the Worst Possible Time

Chisholm injured the thumb in the eighth inning while trying to stretch a single. He remained in the game defensively, but numbness eventually forced the Yankees to remove him in the ninth.

According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Chisholm has been diagnosed with a sprain and will be placed on the 10-day IL. He is expected to do no baseball activity for approximately 7-10 days.

That’s a problem.

There are only about 3 weeks left in the regular season, and the Yankees are sitting around 82-62 while trying to chase down the top of the AL East.

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Chisholm wasn’t having some MVP-type offensive season, hitting .232, but the overall package mattered. He had 19 home runs, 55 RBIs and an American League-leading 40 stolen bases through 134 games.

That’s power, speed and pressure on opposing pitchers.

And now it’s gone right when the Yankees need every weapon they can get.

Here Comes Anthony Volpe?

Jose Caballero is the easiest immediate answer at second base. Amed Rosario can move around the infield too.

But Aaron Boone has already acknowledged something much more interesting:

The Yankees are comfortable with Anthony Volpe playing second base.

That’s where this gets interesting.

Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on August 4 when the Yankees decided it was time to give George Lombard Jr. the shortstop job.

And Lombard shouldn’t be going anywhere.

So don’t turn this into another shortstop controversy.

This is about second base.

Volpe hit .240 with 1 home run, 19 RBIs and a .646 OPS in 56 games with the Yankees before the demotion. The offense wasn’t good enough, and the Yankees finally made the move a lot of fans had been asking for.

But the organization didn’t bury him.

They started preparing him for exactly this type of situation.

Volpe has worked at shortstop, second base and even some third base in Triple-A, giving the Yankees another potential multi-position option down the stretch.

Volpe Has Forced His Name Back Into the Conversation

The timing also helps his case.

After recovering from a right forearm contusion suffered when he was hit by a pitch, Volpe got ridiculously hot.

He recently earned International League Player of the Week honors after batting .524 over a 6-game stretch with extra-base hits, home runs and stolen bases.

One teammate even compared the run to Barry Bonds.

Obviously nobody is saying Anthony Volpe suddenly became Barry Bonds.

But if you’re the Yankees, what exactly are you waiting for?

Your starting second baseman just went down.

Your former starting shortstop is healthy.

He’s hitting.

He’s already been working at second base.

And you’re entering the most important stretch of the season.

Don’t Mess With Lombard — Give Volpe a Different Opportunity

This could actually be the perfect situation for everybody.

Lombard stays at shortstop.

Volpe returns without the pressure of reclaiming his old job.

And the Yankees get another right-handed bat with speed and defensive versatility.

There is risk. Volpe’s Major League offense has been inconsistent, and throwing him into a new position during a September playoff race isn’t exactly ideal.

Caballero is probably the safer defensive option right now.

But safe isn’t always the answer.

If Volpe’s Triple-A adjustment is real, this is the opportunity to find out.

And there’s another layer here.

Chisholm is headed toward free agency after the season. A strong September from Volpe at second base could completely change how the Yankees view their infield heading into 2027.

Jazz Chisholm getting hurt is unquestionably bad news.

But for Anthony Volpe?

The door back to Yankee Stadium might have just swung wide open.

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