When will Anthony Volpe go, when will Aaron Judge come back?

Fri, Jun 12, 2026

On this edition of Yankees Mailbag, SNY's Niki Lattarulo is joined by SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes to take on fan questions about the state of the Bronx Bombers. Questions are answered about how much rope Anthony Volpe has, the health of Aaron Judge, potential trade moves, and more noise out of Aroldis Chapman.

Video Transcript

What do you do with Anthony Volpe at this point?

You know, I think you do something other than what you're doing.

It just feels like they're torturing him, putting him in this position where every move is scrutinized versus Jos Caballero.

What's up, guys?

Welcome to the latest episode of Yankees Mailbag, the show where we answer your questions.

I'm your host, Nikki LaTerulo, and I'm joined by our MLB insider, Chelsea Janes.

hello Chelsea.

Thank you so much for joining us here.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Just a reminder to everyone before we get started, you can submit your questions on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

We make a post asking for your questions, so you drop them in the comments.

And if you're watching on YouTube, you could also leave them on the comments here.

And we will make sure to get to them on the next show.

So the Yankees open a series tonight in Toronto.

They're currently tied for first with the Rays, but the Blue Jays are nine games back.

So, first and second, but bit of a space there.

So let's get our questions going.

We're gonna start with bronx4857, and he said, "What do you do with Anthony Volpe at this point?"

You know, I think you do something other than what you're doing.

It just feels like they're torturing him, putting him in this position where every move is scrutinized versus Jos Caballero.

I think it's very clear that Caballero is the more impactful player at shortstop right now, so I'm not sure kind of what the end game is here if you keep playing them like this.

I don't think you're getting the best out of either.

That's just my opinion.

I know the Yankees love Anthony Volpe.

For me, I'd send him down, let him work at second base.

And, you know, you've got Josh Chisholm as a free agent this year.

The free agent class is very thin.

I would expect Jazz to get a lot of money to maybe go somewhere else.

Maybe that clears a spot for Volpe.

But right now, I mean, you know, he's hitting okay, but he just looks like a guy who needs a reset.

Maybe somewhere else, but if it's not gonna be somewhere else, maybe let him try to figure out second base.

Let him find his way back into u- utility role.

And just stop the day-to-day scrutiny because it's too much for everyone, and it's hurting a team that is otherwise super functional and has a lot of positives going on.

Yeah, I think if Caballero didn't get hurt, I don't think Volpe would've even been up, so now they, like, feel bad, I think, sending him down.

You mentioned his numbers.

Right now, 67 at bats, he's batting 194 with one home run, but his last seven games, his average is under 100.

So not, not great stuff, and I think Caballero is the clear choice, like you said.

But again, the Yankees don't wanna hurt Anthony Volpe's feelings, I think.

Let's move on.

RickyHenley24 on X said, "Has there been any trade deadline chatter at all about Hunter Goodman?

He'd be a great fit.

The Yankees could send Dominguez or Jones, Escara, and Clark Schmidt to the Rockies, and Goodman already looks good in pinstripes."

You know, I mean, I, I don't know why the Rockies would do that deal.

No offense.

you know, I think that one of the things that we kind of lose sight of at trade deadline time is, is that both sides have to get something out of it.

I mean, Hunter Goodman's a really good catcher, like you said, and that's a team that's rebuilding.

And, you know, could probably use him if not as a centerpiece of, like, the next good Rockies team, which is probably far away, maybe as someone who kind of keeps you anchored until then.

Could be wrong.

Could get traded.

All of that is to say, I think the Yankees are gonna have their pick of a few catchers, right?

I think Joel Sherman of the New York Post mentioned Ryan Jeffers as a target with whom they have familiarity.

I don't personally see why that wouldn't get done, and he's been a, a pretty consistent guy until he got hurt.

There are other options, too, right?

Keibert Ruiz with the Nationals.

I'm sure the Nationals, if, if they don't hang in there like they have been, could, could kind of pull things down for parts.

So, you know, I think there are other options out there.

I think Hunter Goodman would take the most and, and maybe that's the shot you wanna take if you're the Yankees.

But I think right now maybe it's a slightly less, you know, headliney option behind the plate, and you could still get a lot of help, you know, production-wise, from that kind of move.

Yeah, I'm interested to see what the Yankees are gonna do at the trade deadline, 'cause they could use catching, and then also we know they need some bullpen help.

So maybe a busy trade deadline for the Yankees.

This is the burning question.

I don't know if anyone actually knows, but RudyZ123 on X said, "I know it's hard to know, but best guess when Aaron Judge returns?"

So honestly, I think the, the four to six weeks on imaging that they said, like, "We're gonna do imaging in four to six weeks," like as soon as the imaging shows that there's noth- nun- the stress fracture is healed, I think that's gonna be a real quick ramp.

I- 'cause he's not gonna wanna miss time.

I don't think he's gonna waste at bats on a rehab assignment.

I don't know why you would with an injury like this.

Mm-hmm.

So, like yeah, he might need some rehab assignment, but I don't think it's gonna be prolonged like it would be if it were a pitcher.

So I mean, probably after the All-Star break, right?

Yeah.

But, like, we're probably not talking too far after the trade deadline, I don't think, unless it doesn't heal.

And if he's not doing anything, I don't see why it wouldn't.

So to me, I, you know, it's a big injury, but I do think they're lucky it's a bone, 'cause when the bone heals, you're good.

So, I would expect shortly after that imaging, you know, as long as it shows healing, you know, you're able to kinda get going again.

I don't see why it should, you know, be any longer than, than it has to be.

And, like, why rush him back in the first half of the season if you get an All-Star break and then you really only need him for playoffs?

So when I saw him at the Knicks game, I was like, "If he walks out on Clement Ave and somebody runs into him," like, we need to protect this man with our life.

Right.

I don't think he needs to be outside MSG right now.

I was getting a little nervous there for all the Yankee fans.

it's too chaotic out there.

Toyland7 on X, "When it's obvious to everyone else Oswaldo Cabrera is a better player than 95% of the Yankees, why the heck are they keeping him at the bottom of the ship?

This is nuts.

Better outfield than everybody and most infielders.

What are you doing to this poor man's career" with like 15 question marks.

I mean, if I didn't know Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Ca- oh my God, sounds like I don't.

I can't even say his name.

If I didn't know him- The name always trips me up, too I would be like, "Is this your burner?"

You know?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Look, I think he's a really good player.

I think the leg injury took a really long time to get back from.

And yeah, he's probably like a really nice utility guy.

I don't think they're keeping him at the bottom of the ship.

I think he's You'll probably see him at some point, right?

They've been, you know I say this, it's kind of funny.

They've been fairly healthy, right?

Like the outfield's where they have all their depth, so it's just made more sense for Dominguez and Spencer Jones to come up.

I think they have a much higher ceiling than Cabrera, kind of to your point.

you know, to the point of the tweet, I guess.

It's like, y- he's a really good player with a high floor who's really solid, and that's great.

But Spencer Jones, I think you're hoping, can be a 40 home run guy.

And Jasson Dominguez, I think you're hoping, can be a 30 30 outfielder who if, you know, who's solid year in and year out.

So I think you have to give those guys some run.

But that's not to say if they have more injuries in the infield or they make some deadline deals that shake things up, that he's not, he's not still there.

But my sense is that that injury set him back a little bit.

Maybe the offense hasn't been there quite as much as they would like to see.

Like, he's not, you know, knocking down the door in Triple-A in a way that's gonna force them to make a move.

And so in that case, you know, he waits.

But I, I do think he's a really nice asset, and if they have to rely on him down the stretch, I think they'll be very comfortable doing that.

No, I agree with your point.

Like, they, they need to see what these young guys have rather than just sit them in Triple-A and let Cabrera get his reps.

But I feel like they have used him a lot, just the injury was like- Yeah obviously he snapped his leg.

They, they can't just rush him back.

Those are big ones.

Yeah.

That would- Yeah that's a big one.

All right, we were just speaking about Dominguez.

G2 I don't know how to say it, so sorry.

On X, said, "How about Dominguez up for the Toronto series, Volpe down to play some second base at Scranton, and a trade for a catcher that can hit?"

You touched on Volpe down at Scranton, which you agree with, but what about Dominguez up for the series?

Yeah.

I think with Dominguez it's literally just a question of when he's ready, on rehab.

I haven't seen what he did last night or whatever, but yeah, I don't think it's like out of the question.

I think he'll probably be back in the next week.

so and when that happens, what do you do?

I mean, Spencer Jones has been hitting really well.

really well, I would say.

So I don't know that you wanna disrupt that, but maybe you do.

Maybe you send him back.

But you know, I think they've got people that can play the infield, and if Volpe's not hitting, I mean, it, the question's gonna come up, right, is what I'm saying, when, when Dominguez gets healthy, is like do you move Volpe or do you send down Jones or what do you do?

So we'll see.

I think they will trade for a catcher that can hit.

I think that's just a matter of time.

I think we're getting to the point where teams that are really out of it are gonna be able to start saying like, "We're out of it."

Mm-hmm.

So anytime really, I think that could happen.

So yeah.

I, I think potentially all these things could happen.

a lot of them make sense.

It's just timing for Dominguez and timing on the catcher, and we'll see what they do with Volpe.

you know, they've got Schuman.

He has someone who can play the infield a little bit too.

I don't know if they'd choose him over Volpe, but you know.

These, these questions are about to be answered, so we're, we're all gonna find out together.

Yeah.

We're right on the door of finding out all these answers.

Yeah.

one other question before we go.

The whole situation with Aroldis Chapman.

King Pink on X said So if anyone doesn't know, Aroldis Chapman made a comment that was like, "If I'm ever going back to the Yankees, then Brian Cashman owes me an apology."

So what do you think about the comments that he made?

And if anyone doesn't know why he made those comments, give them a little refresh.

Yeah.

So he was really frustrated, with the way the Yankees handled him ahead of a playoff game, and I'm blanking on the year.

But I will look it up.

It's all right.

But basically, Aroldis Chapman missed a mandatory workout before a playoff series when he was with the Yankees.

And his argument, as I understand it, and I kinda watched his He spoke to, a, a Latin American journalist the other, this week, and I- I think 2022 I tried to kind of figure out what he was saying.

2022.

That's right, that's right.

Yeah.

So he, you know, the season ended.

he'd had a leg infection on a tattoo, so I think that was kind of an awkward thing too.

Like what, you know, why risk a tattoo?

And you know- Mm-hmm he's probably saying, "That's not, you know, I could never have seen that coming."

So whatever.

but I, I think basically, he figured, he thought they knew where he was for that mandatory workout.

They say he should've been there, whatever.

He said he was with his family picking up his kids.

I think it's a misunderstanding, but it's clearly a big misunderstanding, right?

Like he clearly has a different view of what was expected of him during that week than the Yankees did.

And so for that reason almost alone, I, I don't see why you would take the chance on a reunion unless you think you can really figure that out.

I mean, he's been good, but there are other options.

So it's a, it's a weird situation.

I think they're kinda missing each other, and I think if he's the only closing option available when they get to that point, then maybe you think about reconciling.

But you know, clearly there's just some disagreement there.

And so for me, I don't really see why you would even poke the bear if you're the Yankees.

I think you're gonna have other options.

Yeah.

And he's gonna have other options.

But uh- Yeah kind of fascinating.

I think they really just disagree on what happened and who, who was at fault there.

And I just think that Yankee fans have like a little Aroldis Chapman with the home run to Altuve.

Like I just think Yankee fans- Mm-hmm don't wanna see him back in pinstripes.

And then if there's some sort of problem in the clubhouse with him and Brian Cashman not getting along, like I just don't think it's necessary.

But I do think- Yes, right it's interesting that you even brought it up.

Like I was like, oh we're still- Yeah thinking about that.

We're still beating- Yes a dead horse.

No one's forgotten about it.

But I don't know.

I definitely don't wanna see him back on the Yankees, but that's just my personal opinion.

Every time I see him pitch I'll get a little bit triggered and flashbacks.

But- Yeah anyway.

They know what they'd be getting, and, you know, I would assume that they don't have a lot of other options.

He's not really good enough to risk it.

Like he's a little too hot and cold in my opinion for it to be risked for a problem.

It would be interesting, for sure.

It would be interesting.

But th- other teams would be interested too, you know?

So.

Exactly.

all right.

Well, tonight Ryan Weathers gets to start for the Yankees.

His last five, or his last start he gave up five runs, seven hits on six innings against the Red Sox, so hopefully a better outing tonight in Toronto.

But everyone, thank you so much for watching this episode of Yankees Mailbag.

You can submit your questions for next episode on SMI's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or drop them in the YouTube comments below.

and we will see you back here for next episode.

For Chelsea, I'm Nikki, and we will see you next time.