Yankees' Anthony Volpe Reportedly Got Cortisone Shot for Shoulder Injury

In the midst of a frustrating season, New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been dealing with a shoulder injury for months that recently required a cortisone shot.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Volpe received a cortisone injection prior to Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

It was not the first time Volpe has gotten a cortisone injection this season, however:

The injury occurred on May 3 when Volpe attempted to make a diving play in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He told reporters afterward he heard a pop in his shoulder, but manager Aaron Boone said the X-rays and MRI didn't show anything too alarming.

"It's a little unclear in there. He's got some stuff that they feel like is older stuff, so hard to know exactly," Boone said at the time. "He's definitely a little cranky in the shoulder today."

Despite the Yankees' medical staff giving a positive report, Sherman noted Volpe has dealt with "discomfort on occasion in the area since" it happened.

At the time the injury occurred, Volpe was hitting a respectable .233/.326/.442 with five homers in 138 plate appearances. Boone gave him the day off on May 4 before putting him back in the lineup for the following game.

Since that May 5 game, Volpe's slash line is .197/.248/.378 with 14 homers in 418 plate appearances. His .269 weighted on-base average since that date is tied with Oneil Cruz for the second-worst in MLB out of 150 qualified hitters.

Volpe is also one of 10 players with a negative FanGraphs' wins above replacement since May 5 (minus-0.1).

Defense has also been an issue for Volpe this season. His ranks in the second percentile among all shortstops in outs above average. He ranked in the 97th percentile with 13 outs above average in 2024.

Even though Volpe throws with his right arm, an issue with the left shoulder can disrupt his entire fielding rhythm because of the kinetic chain that connects multiple parts of the body for transferring forces of motion.

Volpe hasn't had much time off amid his struggles, but Boone did keep him out of the starting lineup in back-to-back games on Aug. 24 and 25. He was inserted into the Aug. 24 game against the Boston Red Sox as a defensive replacement for José Caballero.

Given the struggles for Volpe with the bat and glove, the Yankees could be forced to make a decision about whether or not they want to carry him on their playoff roster if they make the field.

Caballero has played well when he's been in the lineup. The 29-year-old has a .239/.345/.413 slash line in 27 games with the Yankees since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on July 31.