ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Anthony Volpe had good company for his first minor-league road trip in four years, a short 72-mile bus ride through Pennsylvania. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Oswaldo Cabrera?
This Lackawanna County-to-Allentown journey for six games in six days included three others who can relate to Volpe being thrust last week into a “Back to the Future” life.
Fellow infielder Max Schuemann, catcher J.C. Escarra and outfielder Jasson Dominguez also recently were living the dream, playing for the Yankees one day, then, 72 hours later, were back as members of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
They all would have loved for Marty McFly to swing by in a 1.21-gigawatt-fueled DeLorean to drop them off at Yankee Stadium so they could dress in pinstripes for Tuesday night’s Yankees series opener with the Mariners. Instead, their attire was RailRiders’ road grays on Tail Waggin’ Tuesday at Coca-Cola Park.
Two hours before the first pitch, a lengthy RailRiders hitters’ meeting ended and Volpe headed out to the field to prepare for his second game at his new position. A shortstop with the Yankees since his MLB debut on Opening Day 2023, Volpe has played second base in two of his four Triple-A games since he was demoted last week.
Volpe watched and listened to bench coach Gil Velazquez go over footwork tips that second basemen use to turn double plays. He nodded his head and chimed in. He also smiled a lot.
Dressed in gym shorts and a long-sleeve Yankees T-shirt, Volpe also seemed to be having fun when he was at second base turning double plays during infield practice. The 25-year-old hasn’t played much at second base since his freshman year at Delbarton School, but with his feet, glove and arm, he looked more like vintage Willie Randolph than someone new to the position.
“Anthony’s only been here for a few days, but he’s been out in the field working,” Escarra said before Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s 5-4 loss. “His attitude looks great to me.”
This is what RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan has seen every day since Volpe showed up last Thursday.
“I’ve seen guys crumble when they get sent down and I’ve seen guys where it drives them to get better,” Duncan said. “I’ve seen it all. There isn’t one player that gets sent down where it doesn’t sting. It’s how you deal with it. You walk in with your chin up or you walk in with your head between your legs.
“Volpe walked in with his chin up. He’s been an outstanding teammate from the moment he’s walked in here. From his first step, it was ‘Let’s get to work.’
“It’s probably a blessing in disguise that you get three days off between getting sent down because sometimes players need that space to get in the right frame of mind. Volpe’s been awesome.”
Volpe used all 72 hours of his allotted time following his option. He has a place in Manhattan, but moved back into his parents’ Watchung home for three days. He slept in his old bedroom and spent hours reflecting on all the good and bad that have been mixed into his four seasons with the Yankees.
He thought about his future, which is uncertain because the Yankees had decided George Lombard Jr., one of the majors’ best prospects, was ready to come up from Triple-A and play shortstop every day as a 21-year-old with 56 games of Triple-A experience.
“You go through every emotion,” Volpe said. “Yeah. Those three days make you go through your whole career up to this point. You put your heart and your soul into this game, and this is part of it.
“We all know what I signed up for. Now I get to wake up every day and do what I want and get better and improve. At the same time, in so many ways, you feel you did all these things to help the team win and be the best teammate and do your best.”
The kid who had a Yankees cap on his head at 2 hours old and attended hundreds of games at Yankee Stadium accomplished something that childhood idol Derek Jeter — or anyone else in franchise history — never did: winning a Gold Glove as a rookie. Volpe hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the 2023 World Series.
But his fielding has regressed over the last two years, especially in 2025, when he played with a tear in his left labrum starting in May. His fielding percentage was the worst among shortstops in the league. He’s also struck out frequently and hit for low batting averages every year, while hitting 20-plus homers twice.
By late last season, Yankees fans were constantly booing Volpe, who had once been a big crowd favorite.
The fan abuse was bad at times this year, too. He spent the first month on the injured list recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, then was optioned because Jose Caballero filled in at shortstop so well. But when Caballero broke a finger and went on the IL for 10 days, Volpe was back up and getting a majority of the shortstop reps again through July.
“I thought about everything, obviously last year just gritting your teeth and doing it (injured),” Volpe said. “I thought about the ups and downs this year. But if I could do it 100 times, I’d do it the exact way 100 more times because I just wanted to win.
“I’ll put up with anything in the world if I feel like I’m on a team that can win the World Series in New York. I know it comes with everything, but I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”
While Volpe was struggling at the plate last month, he grew angry over a report that said he was unwilling to play second base earlier this season when he was in Triple-A. Citing anonymous sources, Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay reported the claim on his ESPN radio show before retracting it the following day.
At the time, Volpe stated, “It couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Volpe said that he was never asked or told to play another position until his meeting with manager Aaron Boone on Aug. 3, when he was optioned.
“I’m game for whatever,” he said. “I’m excited to show I can do it. Really.”
Volpe made sure that his Triple-A coaching staff knew the truth as soon as he arrived.
“When he came here, that was one of the conversations that came out of him,” Velazquez said. “I wasn’t trying to dig it out, but he mentioned that he doesn’t understand why people created that story.
“I know for a fact that story wasn’t true. Us that know him, we know he’s more than willing to move to second base. He’s a Yankee. He wants to help the team win a World Series.”
It remains unclear whether Volpe will get another chance with the Yankees. They’re committed to Lombard, who’s hitting .286 with two homers and has provided sensational play at shortstop in his first six games. If the Yankees’ other infielders stay healthy, Volpe will probably finish the season in the minors.
There could be an attainable path to return in 2027; however, because second baseman Jazz Chisholm is headed for free agency and is a long shot to return to New York. If Volpe isn’t traded in the offseason, he’d likely compete with Caballero next season for the starting second base job, with the loser making the roster as a utility player.
“I don’t have anything for you on that,” Volpe said.
That’s fair. Volpe’s only concern now is using the rest of this season to get better. That includes mastering second base.
It’ll take some time to adjust to new responsibilities, such as covering first base on bunts, relay throw positioning and, of course, the pivot on double plays, which is much different from how a shortstop turns two.
“When you first go from short to second base, it feels awkward,” Velazquez said. “You feel like you’re on the opposite side of the field, which you are. The footwork is slightly different, placing your feet for double play turns and double play feeds. Volpe’s got that.
“It’s just a matter of reps for him to feel comfortable. Honestly, the days I’ve seen him work at second base, there’s nothing that alerts me. He looks comfortable at second. He’s got the athleticism. His actions are fluid. His rhythm is good.”
Before next season, Volpe might be playing third base, too.
“Maybe, but let’s not throw the whole kit and caboodle at him right now,” Duncan said. “Let’s take this first step and get Volpe as many reps as possible at second base. He’s gonna play there quite a bit. The reason why is it’s important to add that to his repertoire.
“When Volpe gets to a comfort level at second, then we’ll have a discussion to see what’s needed with the big-league team, the organization.”
Volpe’s long-term future with the Yankees may come down to his bat. Can he provide enough offense to warrant a starting job at any position?
Volpe batted .212 with 19 homers, a 25.2 percent strikeout rate and a 7.2 percent walk rate last season. This year, he’s hit only one homer in 194 plate appearances in 56 games for the Yankees, but has increased his average to .240 while improving his strikeout rate to 22.3 percent and his walk rate to 11.3 percent.
“I feel like when Volpe was rehabbing with us earlier this year, he was trying to change the type of hitter he was in the past,” Velazquez said. “He was trying to get on, get his single, hit for a little more for average. He changed his swing a little bit. He’s become a better hitter. But it’s a small window. I’m looking forward to seeing where all this goes.”
Volpe has hit .230 with a .607 OPS in 22 minor-league games, including a .224 average with two homers in 13 Triple-A games, which included a 2-for-5 outing from the leadoff spot on Tuesday.
“This opportunity allows him to work on little things where he can be a multi-dimensional hitter, where he can be situational and have the pop when he picks and chooses,” Duncan said. “He can be a good all-around hitter. It’s a little easier to focus on that down here without the pressure of producing results on a nightly basis.
“Volpe’s experience has given him insight. What were his strengths? What were some things he had weaknesses with? He knows himself better than anyone, so he’s going to be able to dial in on the things that he knows he needs to do to be the best big-league hitter he can. This is a good environment for it. It can make him better in the long run.”
That’s the goal.
“I want to look at this, as cliché as it sounds, as a turning point in my career,” Volpe said. “I have an opportunity here to work on my dream. I know how it is up there in New York with everything. You make adjustments, but you’re responsible for doing your job that night.
“I think to be the player that I want to be, I can use this time for my benefit. And that’ll be for the Yankees’ benefit, hopefully.”
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