ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Anthony Volpe is on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment, but he no longer feels like a rehabbing player.
Six months removed from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, Volpe could begin a rehab assignment as soon as Tuesday with Double-A Somerset and is champing at the bit to get going.
“Probably the most excited I’ve ever been,” the shortstop said Sunday at Tropicana Field. “Just having that perspective [of missing time], it doesn’t matter, I’ll play anywhere, I’ll do anything.”
Volpe stayed back in Tampa when the season started to continue his rehab, which has included taking live at-bats in simulated games over the past week and a half. He is scheduled to see team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad on Monday, and if he gets the all-clear, will begin a rehab assignment, which comes with a maximum 20-day clock.
Despite spending most of the offseason rehabbing the shoulder, Volpe said he viewed it as a “blank slate” to analyze his swing and see how he could get better after three full big league seasons in which he has posted an OPS of .666, .657 and .663.
“Just cleaning up my bat path and just keeping it on plane for a lot longer,” he said. “We found some stuff where it kind of went wrong. I think the stuff we worked on is very objective, and I feel like I can make adjustments off of it.”
Cam Schlittler recorded a career-high 21 swings and misses while striking out eight but gave up three runs on a season-high seven hits (plus his first walk of the season) across five innings.
“Just made the wrong pitches,” Schlittler said. “Overall, just kind of embarrassing. Got to be better there.”
Giancarlo Stanton got his second day off of the season Sunday, allowing Aaron Judge to DH and stay off the outfield turf. That forced Aaron Boone to use Randal Grichuk in right field, despite a tough right-on-right matchup with Drew Rasmussen and the veteran outfielder starting the season 0-for-10.
Stanton came in to pinch hit for Grichuk in the seventh inning, grounding out but driving in a run that pulled the Yankees within 3-2. Instead of Stanton staying in to play the field, Boone had Amed Rosario play right field for the first time this season.
Boone had said before the game that Rosario could get some time in the outfield off the bench and the occasional start, if needed.
Before Stanton replaced him, Grichuk went 0-for-2, getting robbed of his first hit when second baseman Richie Palacios made a diving stop on his 102.7 mph grounder up the middle.
A rough week for the Yankees with the automated ball-strike system continued Sunday, as Ben Rice looked at Strike 3 in a full count leading off the fourth inning and lightly touched his helmet before instantly appearing to regret it. He tried to talk his way out of it, but home plate umpire Dan Bellino charged him with the challenge, which was unsuccessful.
This marked the first time the Yankees have been swept by the Rays since April 16-18, 2021.