Anthony Volpe is nearing a return from the injured list, and the Yankees are about to face a roster call they cannot avoid. Volpe will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset on Tuesday, and Brian Cashman said the shortstop should get about 55 at-bats in the minors before his 2026 debut.
The return is simple enough. Someone has to go when Volpe comes back, and Jovan Alford of Sports Illustrated thinks Randal Grichuk is the most likely casualty. Grichuk went hitless in his first 12 trips to the plate with New York, a rough start for a player who signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training and arrived with 212 career home runs and a.815 OPS against left-handed pitching.
That is why the choice matters now, not later. New York has been getting stronger production from Jasson Domínguez, who is hitting.341 in Triple-A with two home runs, two doubles, eight RBI and seven stolen bases, while it is highly unlikely the team will cut ties with Ryan McMahon or Jose Caballero. If Grichuk is not the odd man out, the Yankees could option J.C. Escarra and use Ben Rice as the backup catcher.
Alford said there is still time for Grichuk to turn it around, but he also pointed to the bigger problem: the veteran has not done damage against lefties, the very matchup that is supposed to be his strength. That leaves the Yankees with a familiar kind of problem, one created by good news elsewhere. Volpe is coming back, and the roster is going to be thinner by one before he takes the field again.
