While the Yankees have entered spring training under the impression Anthony Volpe will miss all of April recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, the young shortstop is aiming for an earlier return.
Just a day after beginning his hitting progression with dry swings, Volpe sounded optimistic about playing in April, calling the timeline "definitely" possible while also not committing to a date for his 2026 debut.
"My body’s ready to go," Volpe said on Tuesday in Tampa. "I started my hitting progression, so other than that, I mean, I'm full go. My body's ready to go defensively and running, so the hitting will be what we work through next and judging on how everything's gone so far, I'm just excited."
The partially torn labrum on Volpe's left shoulder was repaired in October, and while the issue was cleaned up successfully, his doctors were surprised to see the damage was actually worse than what imaging showed.
Volpe doesn't believe the shoulder injury -- suffered last May -- was largely responsible for his regression-filled 2025 campaign, in which he slashed a woeful .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs and 150 strikeouts across 153 games.
He continues to make no excuses for last season's low production, and the recovery process has helped him learn how to improve communication with the club and stay honest with himself.
"I know I could've played better, I felt strong and good enough to go. If I didn't, I mean, I wouldn't have," Volpe said. "You learn a lot about the mindset and how you've got to be self-aware, aware of certain things going on. And how to, if you're going to play through, perform and do the best you can."
Volpe described the early stages of rehab as "rock bottom" physically, and he didn't start to feel over the hump in his offseason work until more baseball activities around the new year.
The next step in Volpe's progression will be tee work, followed by soft toss. He'll make sure landing on the shoulder is the last hurdle cleared, since a diving defensive play against the Rays at Yankee Stadium caused the "pop" that prompted two cortisone shots last season.
In the meantime, Volpe is trusting the training staff's plan, no matter how long utilityman Jose Caballero and others hold down the fort at shortstop. Volpe claims there's always been "a chip on his shoulder" -- apparently, doctors missed that during imaging, too.
"I just can't wait to go back out there, play, feel good, perform, and help the team win," Volpe said. "Because at the end of the day, if I do that and I play the way I can play, everything will take care of itself and I appreciate everything. I appreciate the accountability."