It’s not going right for Anthony Volpe, and the Yankees are feeling it.

The Yanks came into the season with high hopes for Volpe, and their homegrown shortstop was expected to anchor the infield defensively. Lately, however, the 23-year-old has found himself at the center of the storm. Why? The guy who was once viewed with Gold Glove potential offered a string of defensive blunders. Hence, it has now begun to overshadow his upside. Wait, there’s more. A new injury scare is also haunting the Yankees.

On Saturday against the Rays, Volpe’s error cost the Yankees big. A routine play turned costly error in the late innings against the Rays, directly contributing to yet another gut-wrenching Yankees loss. And with each mistake, the tension grows: for Volpe, for the infield around him, and for the Yankees team clinging to contention in a tightly packed AL East. So, now what is the latest injury update?

“Just felt like a pop in my shoulder,” Volpe said post-game. “It happened quickly and it was scary, but after that, I felt ok and had my strength.”

The hard moment came when the Yankees were cruising with a 2-1 lead in the eighth. This time, Volpe once again found himself in the spotlight — and on the ground. A hard-hit grounder sliced through the hole between short and third, and Volpe, flashing the range that’s made him a tantalizing defensive prospect, dove to his right in a desperate bid to make the play. But instead of a highlight-reel stop, the shortstop’s left shoulder slammed hard into the turf.

Ahh, Volpe stayed down — not just for a second, but long enough to bring manager Aaron Boone and the training staff sprinting out of the dugout. Yankee Stadium, already tense, fell into a hush. For the Yankees, they couldn’t make the double play and enabled the Rays to take the lead. Additionally, Volpe is now sitting with an injury scare.

Well, he received an X-ray at Yankee Stadium following the loss, which came back clean. Still, uncertainty lingers. For the Yankees, they are already dealing with inconsistency in the infield and desperate for stability up the middle; the possibility of losing Volpe, even for a short stretch, adds yet another layer of unease.

Injuries and the Yankees are going hand-in-hand

Injuries and the Yankees are going hand-in-hand these days, a storyline that feels all too familiar in the Bronx. Volpe’s shoulder scare is just the latest addition to a growing list of concerns. The long list includes Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil. So, whether it’s rotation arms being held together with tape or key position players missing time, the Yankees are once again fighting a battle on two fronts: the scoreboard and the trainer’s room.

It’s become part of the fabric of their season — an underlying tension that never quite goes away. And with every new knock or tweak, the margin for error shrinks just a little more. Volpe’s X-ray may have come back clean, but the Yankees can’t afford to lose the one player they trusted to lock down shortstop for the foreseeable future.

Yes, the team is currently leading the division with a 19-14 record but is just one game ahead of the Red Sox in second. Hence, getting too comfortable might not bring any fortune for the Yankees. Now the question is, who will replace Volpe in case of a longer absence?

Oswald Peraza! The most natural backup to Volpe. He is a plus defender with a strong minor league track record. If he returns soon, he’s the most likely long-term fill-in. Remember his last outing against the Orioles on Tuesday? He went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI in Tuesday’s 15–3 rout of the Orioles, stepping in early after Jazz Chisholm exited with an oblique injury. It marked Peraza’s second multi-hit game of the season and a reminder of his steady presence.

Nevertheless, for Volpe, the question is whether he can find his footing again before the spotlight moves away further. What do you think?