VOLPE TO LIVE HIS DREAM AS YANKS SS
Anthony Volpe is getting an opportunity to live a lifelong dream.
The 21-year-old who grew up idolizing Hall of Famer Derek Jeter will be the New York Yankees’ opening day shortstop after winning the job in spring training.
Manager Aaron Boone, GM Brian Cashman, hitting coach Dillon Lawson and bench coach Carlos Mendoza delivered the news after Sunday’s 6-2 Grapefruit League win over the Toronto Blue
Jays.
The Yankees open the regular season at home Thursday against the
San Francisco Giants.
Volpe, who lived in Manhattan as a child before moving to New Jersey, shared the news with his parents and other family members at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.
“It was pretty emotional,” Volpe said. “It was just an unbelievable moment to share with them.”
Rated one of baseball’s best prospects, Volpe is hitting .314 with three homers, five RBIs and a .417 on-base percentage in 17 spring training games. He won the starting shortstop job over Oswald Peraza and holdover Isiah Kiner-Falefa despite having only 22 games of experience at Triple-A.
Peraza was optioned to the minors Sunday. KinerFalefa was shifted into a utility role midway through camp.
“While certainly the performance was there, he killed it between the lines,” Boone said of Volpe. “All the other things that we’ve been hearing about showed up. There’s an energy he plays the game with, and an instinct that he has that is evident. He really checked every box that we could have had for him.”
No Wright for Braves
Atlanta right-hander Kyle Wright, the only 20game winner in the majors in 2022, will start this season on the injured list. That creates the likelihood that rookie left-handers Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd will both be part of Atlanta’s rotation early.
Wright, who was 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA last season, has been limited to two starts this spring and the righthander needs additional time to strengthen his sore pitching shoulder. He’s expected to return in midApril.
Shuster is Atlanta’s top prospect. He and Dodd have been competing for what the Braves had anticipated would be one opening in the rotation.
Miggy’s Lakeland farewell
Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera was presented a key to the city of Lakeland, Fla., before his final spring training game, which the Tigers won 11-10 over the Rays.
The two-time AL MVP and four-time batting champion has said he intends to retire after the 2023 season, his 16th with the Tigers and 21st overall.
The 39-year-old slugger received a standing ovation before and after his final atbat at Joker Marchant Stadium, flying out to left to finish 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
Notable
Left-hander Josh Fleming won a competition to open the season in Tampa Bay’s rotation, beating out right-handers Yonny Chirinos and Luis Patino to fill in for injured right-hander Tyler Glasnow (oblique).
Chirinos was optioned to Triple-A Durham and Patino was sent to the minors earlier in the weekend.
Also, Rays shortstop Wander Franco, out with right quadriceps soreness, was awaiting the results of an MRI.
• The A’s agreed to terms with right-hander Jeurys Familia on a $1.5 million, one-year contract. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s placed left-hander Kirby Snead on the 60-day injured list with a strained left shoulder.