The New York Yankees optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple-A after Monday's game and are calling up George Lombard Jr. to replace him.
Lombard is the team's top prospect and is viewed as the shortstop of the future. That, paired with the issues Volpe has had offensively, could mean his days at shortstop for the Yankees in the big leagues may be over.
If Lombard is as good as everyone in the organization thinks he is, Volpe is not going to be an everyday player at shortstop for the Yankees ever again. However, that does not mean his time with the team is over. He could learn a new position and come back next season to claim that spot as his own.
Since being drafted by the Yankees in 2019, Volpe has only appeared as a non-shortstop five times. He played second base for two games in High-A, and third base for three games in Single-A. It's clear the Yankees saw him as a shortstop, and he won a Gold Glove there as a rookie. However, during an appearance on "Talkin' Yanks" on Tuesday, Aaron Boone noted that Volpe would spend time at shortstop and second base in the minor leagues.
This is notable considering Jazz Chisholm Jr. is about to be a free agent, and if the Yankees let him walk after a down year, second base could be up for grabs. Volpe could try to earn tjhat spot next spring if he's still a Yankee.
Additionally, it would not be a surprise to see Volpe see some time at third base. Ryan McMahon has been a disappointment offensively, and the Yankees could try to move on from him in the offseason. Jose Caballero can play third base, and while he's a better offensive player than Volpe, he's still not anything beyond average.
Volpe's glove may be able to translate to both second and third base. The key for him will be to improve at the plate. He has a .660 career OPS and a 24.9% career strikeout rate.