Yankees' surprising Anthony Volpe wrinkle in Triple-A lineup could put Amed Rosario on notice

When the Yankees optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the plan going in seemed straightforward enough: get the bat right, and give him some run at second base as another option as Jazz Chisholm Jr. walks into free agency this offseason. Volpe has done exactly that early on, working with the RailRiders' coaching staff on footwork and skillsets he likely hadn't needed since he was learning the game in high school.

But over the weekend came a bit of a surprise: Volpe started at third base, a position that wasn't part of the original plan at all, at least publicly.

Here's the thing worth chewing on a bit if you’re Yankee fan. George Lombard Jr. has taken over at shortstop in the Bronx (although he did leave the game Saturday night with knee discomfort), and by every indication, that job isn't coming back up for grabs anytime soon. That's actually good news for Volpe, in a strange way. For the first time since playing in the Bronx, he's not the guy expected to hold down the position that made him a first-round pick and a Gold Glove winner. He's just a talented 25-year-old learning new spots on the infield with nothing to lose, adding value to the club. 

There's no fear of being benched at shortstop, because shortstop isn't his to lose anymore. There's only the upside of figuring out where else his glove can play, with a level of freedom he's never really had as a big leaguer. And no matter what you think of Volpe, the Yankees could have handled his situation better, and maybe this move to third gives him permission to start over (as long as he finds a way to make the arm strength play).

Some of the early returns with the bat have actually been encouraging. Since heading down, Volpe is hitting with some pop at Triple-A — he has six home runs, six doubles, and a triple in his first 28 games, even while his average has lagged behind the pop. Learning second base and now third base on the fly isn't easy, but nobody's expecting him to look polished immediately. Given how limited his big-league success has been to this point, there's really nothing but upside in trying.

Why there might actually be a path back to Yankee Stadium for Anthony Volpe

As with most scenarios in the big leagues, timing is everything. Ryan McMahon is on the injured list with a sprained thumb, and Amed Rosario, the incumbent at third, has cooled off considerably since a hot start, now hitting .237 with a .707 OPS and grading out among the worst defenders at the position in all of baseball. If Volpe can find his footing at either infield spot, there's a real opening on this roster waiting for him, not just a depth chart he's stuck behind.

None of that is a knock on Rosario, either. Even in a rough stretch at the plate, he's been one of the more visible, positive presences (at least visibly), the kind of guy who's up on the top step for every big moment regardless of his own numbers. That's a big-time ingredient for a team trying to punch its ticket to October, but there is only so much merit to that in a playoff push. So that also means the door for Volpe isn't fully closed — it's just waiting for him to prove he can play his way through it, wherever the Yankees end up needing him the most.

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