Anthony Volpe and Carlos Rodon's 2026 seasons likely delayed, Aaron Judge avoids surgery

Anthony Volpe will likely miss the start of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Aaron Boone confirmed the news of Volpe’s surgery during Thursday’s press conference, and told reporters that the young shortstop will not swing a bat for four months, and is not able to dive onto his shoulder for six months, meaning he likely won’t be able to play in the field until at least mid-April.

“Probably a little behind,” Boone said of Volpe’s timeline in terms of being ready for the 2026 season. “But I think we’ll have a better idea in 3-4 months if that timeline moves up a little bit or if it delays a little bit.”

Boone mentioned that Volpe could be starting a rehab assignment once the Yanks begin their 2026 season.

Volpe felt his shoulder “pop” back in May when diving for a ball, but stayed in the game. He continued to struggle at the plate, and those struggles bled into his defense, to the point where many clamored for a replacement at shortstop. Volpe then received a cortisone injection and saw his play improve, particularly in the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox. But he fell off a cliff again in the ALDS, logging just one hit while striking out 11 times.

Boone made it clear on Thursday that he had no regrets about playing Volpe regularly after suffering his shoulder injury, despite the underwhelming numbers in his third MLB season.

In better injury news, Aaron Judge’s MRI showed “continued improvement” at the end of the season, and will not need to go under the knife for the flexor strain he suffered during the season. He will continue to rest and rehab over the winter, but he avoided the worst.

An unexpected injury update was the revelation that Carlos Rodon underwent an operation to remove loose bodies and shave off a bone spur in his pitching elbow, and will not throw for eight weeks. Given the ramp-up and build-up after the two months of inactivity, Boone estimated that the start of Rodon’s season could be delayed by “a couple weeks.”

Featured Image Photo Credit: Mark Blinch | Getty Images