Anthony Volpe Injury News & Updates

Volpe will be on the bench Saturday against the Royals, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

The off day means Volpe will have at most one more game to improve on his disappointing .207/.283/.383 slash line (84 wRC+). The rookie's 21 homers and 24 steals helped prop up his fantasy value, and his defense at shortstop kept him useful enough to the Yankees even when he wasn't hitting, but the team will be looking for him to take a step forward at the plate in his second major-league season. Oswald Peraza starts at shortstop Saturday.

Volpe is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game at Toronto.

Volpe started the past 11 games and will take a seat Tuesday after slashing .163/.217/.326 during that span. Oswald Peraza will shift to shortstop while Isiah Kiner-Falefa receives a start at third base.

Volpe went 1-for-5 with a stolen base in a 6-3 victory versus the Pirates on Saturday.

Volpe has notched three thefts through 14 games in September, one more than he had in 27 contests in August. The 22-year-old is up 24 steals on the campaign, fifth-most among MLB rookies. Volpe and Corbin Carroll are the only rookies with at least 20 homers and 20 thefts in 2023.

Volpe isn't in the Yankees' lineup for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Red Sox.

Volpe finished Game 1 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and he'll now take a seat after mustering just two hits across his last seven games. Oswald Peraza (knee) will draw the start at shortstop while Isiah Kiner-Falefa gets the nod at third base.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks, a stolen base and a run against the Astros in a 5-4 victory Saturday.

Volpe was one of two Yankees to reach base thrice in the win, and he scored the team's second run after drawing a walk in the second inning. The rookie shortstop added a double in the third and another walk, as well as a swipe of third base, in the fifth. Volpe's effectiveness on the basepaths has tailed off as the season has progressed -- he went 13-for-13 on theft attempts through his first 41 contests but is just 9-for-14 over 94 games since. However, he's maintained a steady role as New York's starting shortstop and has been one of the AL's top rookies with a .218/.296/.409 slash line, 20 homers, 57 RBI, 54 runs and 22 steals over 504 plate appearances on the campaign.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Thursday's extra-inning loss to the Tigers.

Volpe recorded both extra-base hits in the contest for New York. His fourth-inning double was negated when he was picked off second base, but he made up for that lapse with a clutch homer in the ninth, slugging a two-out, three-run, game-tying shot off Detroit closer Alex Lange that resulted in the contest going into extra innings. The long ball was Volpe's 20th of the campaign, and he's already recorded 21 thefts, making him the first player in franchise history to put up a 20-20 performance as a rookie. Volpe had also recorded a 20-20 season in each of his previous two years in the minors.

Volpe has been moved up to the third spot in the Yankees' lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Aaron Judge is getting a day off, so Gleyber Torres will move up to the two hole and Volpe will occupy Torres' old spot. The rookie shortstop has cranked six home runs in August to push his season total to 19.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-2 victory against Detroit.

Volpe struck out in each of his first three plate appearances before hammering a solo shot to left field in the ninth inning. The long ball was his fifth over his past 16 contests, a span during which he's slashing .250/.311/.589 with 13 RBI. Volpe is up to 19 homers on the campaign and has already reached 20 thefts. He's one long ball away from becoming the first rookie in Yankees history to put up a 20/20 season.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Rays.

Volpe launched a two-run shot to right center field off Zack Littell in the fourth inning to put the Yankees up 4-2. The long ball was his fifth this month and brough him up to 18 on the year, which puts him in a tie with Bo Bichette for sixth-most among shortstops this season. Despite some growing pains as a rookie, Volpe has managed to put together a productive fantasy campaign and is now slashing .218/.296/.398 with 53 RBI, 50 runs, 20 steals and a 44:129 BB:K in 478 plate appearances.

Volpe will sit Saturday against the Rays.

Volpe has been swinging the bat well lately, hitting .269/.356/.519 with three homers over his last 16 games. Oswald Peraza will get the start at shortstop Saturday.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in Sunday's 6-5 loss against the Red Sox.

Volpe tied the game in the seventh inning with a clutch three-run homer off John Schreiber, his 17th of the year and third in his last nine games. The 22-year-old Volpe's gone 8-for-25 (.320) over his previous seven contests. He's now slashing .217/.293/.398 with 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and 20 steals through 458 plate appearances in his rookie campaign.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's loss to Miami.

Volpe provided a boost with a two-run shot in the fourth inning, though New York's bullpen imploded late in the Marlins' win. The long ball was the rookie shortstop's second in his past three contests following a 24-game stretch during which he went deep just once. Volpe is up to 16 homers on the campaign to go along with 46 RBI, 47 runs, 20 steals and a .211/.291/.383 slash line over 437 plate appearances.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a pair of walks in a 9-4 win over the Marlins on Friday.

Volpe put New York on the board with his three-run blast in the second inning. The long ball was just his second in 25 games since the All-Star break, a stretch during which he has slashed .197/.319/.316 with 11 RBI and eight runs. Volpe does have four steals over that stretch to boost his fantasy value, but he's been a batting-average drain with a .212 mark on the campaign. However, he's been able to maintain an everyday role at shortstop for the Yankees and is one of 10 major-leaguers with at least 15 homers and 20 thefts so far this season.

Volpe is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa will get a turn at shortstop as Volpe sits for the first time since July 23. Volpe is in the midst of a prolonged slump, batting just .192/.294/.274 with one home run and four stolen bases in 23 games since the All-Star break. The Yankees have stuck by him all season, however, and there's little reason to think his role as the primary shortstop is in jeopardy at this moment.

Volpe went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a stolen base in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Rays.

After Wander Franco gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a homer, New York's rookie shortstop responded in kind, getting the Yankees on the board in the third by taking Shane McClanahan (forearm) deep. Volpe's begun to look a little more comfortable since the All-Star break, slashing .256/.333/.395 over his last 14 games, and while his .671 OPS on the season is disappointing, the 22-year-old has added 14 homers and 20 steals in 108 contests.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Mets.

The rookie shortstop did a little bit of everything, including making his 10th error of the season. Volpe hasn't had a multi-hit performance since July 3, slashing a woeful .130/.203/.278 in 16 games since then with two of his 13 homers and two of his 18 steals on the season.

Volpe is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

Volpe has a .143/.226/.179 slash line through eight games in the second half, and he'll take a seat Sunday to end a stretch of 32 straight starts. Despite the recent slump, he hit well overall during that stretch with a .772 OPS. Oswald Peraza will start at shortstop Sunday, batting eighth.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and a stolen base Saturday in a 5-2 win over Kansas City.

Volpe was instrumental in breaking a 1-1 tie in the third inning, beginning the frame with a ground-rule double, stealing third and coming home on a sacrifice fly. The theft was the rookie's first since June 29, a span of 19 games. Volpe leads the Yankees with 17 steals on the campaign, though he's slowed down in that area after a hot start, with only four of his thefts coming over his past 58 contests.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's loss against the Cubs.

After going hitless in three straight games (0-for-11), Volpe delivered a two-run home run off Kyle Hendricks that plated Billy McKinney in the sixth inning. The long ball was his 13th of the season but also marked his third in July. Through 91 games, Volpe is slashing .216/.287/.395 with 16 stolen bases and is striking out at a 28.9 percent clip.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run in a loss to Baltimore on Wednesday.

Volpe brought New York to within a run with his solo shot to right field in the eighth inning. It was the rookie shortstop's second homer in his past three contests following a 23-game stretch during which he went deep just once. Volpe was batting below the Mendoza Line at .193 as recently as June 24, but he's bumped his season average up to a more digestible .223 on the strength of a 10-game stretch during which he's slashing .432/.447/.703.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted Tuesday that he's considered moving Volpe back to the leadoff spot, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Boone added that he's been impressed with how Volpe has controlled the strike zone over the last three weeks. The rookie shortstop entered play Tuesday sporting a .379/.446/.603 slash line with two home runs and two stolen bases across his previous 18 contests. Much of that production has come from the lower third of the order, although he's batting sixth Tuesday and it sounds like he could be elevated to the top of the lineup soon.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in a 6-3 win over Baltimore on Monday.

The Yankees trailed 3-0 when Volpe kicked off a comeback with a solo shot in the fifth inning. The rookie shortstop also notched an infield single in the seventh to give him six multi-hit performances over his past seven games. Volpe has put together an eight-game hitting streak overall and is batting .500 (15-for-30) over that span.

Volpe went 4-for-8 with a triple, three runs and an RBI across both games of Saturday's doubleheader against St. Louis.

Volpe collected a pair of hits in each contest, and he's now logged five straight multi-hit performances. The rookie shortstop has increased his season batting average from .195 to .220 over that span while striking out just twice over 21 plate appearances. The Yankees have remained committed to giving Volpe near-everyday playing time even during his periods of struggle, and that commitment appears to be paying off given his recent surge.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 11-0 win over the Athletics.

Volpe has found some success at the plate recently, going 6-for-11 over his last three games. His steal Wednesday was his 16th of the season, but just his third in four attempts in June. The shortstop is up to a .208/.285/.374 slash line with 10 home runs, 28 RBI, 29 runs scored, 10 doubles and two triples through 80 contests. He continues to hold down a consistent spot in the bottom third of the order.

Volpe went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk in Wednesday's 4-2 win over Seattle.

Volpe had gone over two weeks without a long ball coming into the contest, but he was able to halt that drought with a solo shot in the seventh inning. It was his 10th homer of the season, and with 15 thefts he is one of 14 major-leaguers so far this season to accumulate double-digit long balls and steals. Volpe is still hitting a paltry .194 overall, but he's been showing some progress of late, batting .272 (6-for-22) with four extra-base hits over his past seven games.

Volpe went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts and a stolen base across both games of a doubleheader against Boston on Sunday.

Volpe batted out of the No. 9 spot in each contest, and he saw his season average drop to .189 with the 0-for-7 line. The rookie shortstop had curtailed his strikeout rate a bit coming into Sunday, having fanned just four times over his previous 23 plate appearances, but his overall 30.9 percent strikeout rate on the campaign is a concern. Volpe did at least manage a steal in the nightcap, giving him 15 on the season, but even that category has dried up for him of late -- Sunday's theft was just his second in his past 31 contests.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in an interview on the Talkin' Yanks podcast Tuesday that demoting Volpe to the minor leagues is not something the team has talked about.

"What I'm seeing is in my opinion a guy that is still helping us win games but I'm confident will continue to be in the middle of helping us win games," Boone said. The manager's statement isn't surprising, as you wouldn't really expect him to acknowledge that sending Volpe down was being considered even if it were the case. Hopefully, though, it serves as a much-needed vote of confidence for the rookie following a dreadful start to June which has dropped his season batting line down to .186/.260/.345. For what it's worth, Volpe's potential replacement, Oswald Peraza, is hitting .311/.384/.597 with 10 homers and seven steals in 28 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Volpe is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.

After sitting out the front end of a doubleheader with the White Sox on Thursday, Volpe proceeded to start in each of the subsequent three games but recorded just one hit in 10 at-bats over that stretch to bring his batting average down to .187 for the season. The Yankees aren't yet ready to pull the plug on Volpe as their everyday shortstop, though he'll likely have a shorter leash than he did earlier in the season with his production trending down in a hurry.

Volpe is absent from the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the White Sox, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Volpe will surely be back in the lineup for the nightcap, but he'll begin the afternoon game on the bench. Oswaldo Cabrera is getting the start at shortstop in the first game.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 4-1 victory versus the Dodgers.

Volpe provided some critical breathing room for New York with his two-run blast in the ninth inning. The rookie also singled in the fifth, and he finished with his first multi-hit performance since May 14. Volpe has struggled mightily since that date, slashing .138/.186/.308 with a 34.3 percent strikeout rate over 19 contests. Two of his past three hits have left the park, but they've been part of a 3-for-20 stretch that has include seven strikeouts and no walks.

Volpe went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Mariners.

Volpe notched his first extra-base hit since May 21 after taking Logan Gilbert deep to left center in the third to put the Yankees up 6-0. The 22-year-old has not had a multi-hit game since May 14 and has now dipped below The Mendoza Line with a .198/.277/.365 slash line to go with eight homers, 24 RBI, 23 runs, 13 steals and a 21:67 BB:K over 220 plate appearances.

Volpe is not in the lineup Monday versus the Mariners, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

It's a rare day off for Volpe, who has now started 52 of a possible 56 games this season. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will handle shortstop Monday.

Volpe went 1-for-2 with a home run in Thursday's win over the Blue Jays.

Volpe gave the Yankees an insurance run by smacking the foul pole in the ninth inning. Volpe cleared the fence just twice in April but has picked up the power numbers with five homers in May. The batting average still sits at a meager .215, but the shortstop has the third most homers and third most steals among rookies.

Volpe is absent from the Yankees' lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

It's a rare day off for the talented rookie. With Volpe getting a breather, Oswaldo Cabrera will handle shortstop for the Yanks.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 8-7 loss against the Rays.

Volpe cut the Yankees' deficit to one with his two-run shot off Trevor Kelly in the eighth inning. The rookie shortstop has gone 5-for-11 with two home runs and two stolen bases in his last three games. While Volpe has been inconsistent with the bat to start the campaign, he's certainly shown the potential for multi-category fantasy production. He's now slashing .218/.303/.388 with six homers, 17 RBI and 13 stolen bases through his first 147 plate appearances.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run in Saturday's 9-8 victory versus the Rays.

Volpe struck out three times in the contest, but he also displayed his most dynamic asset in the sixth. The rookie led off that frame with a bunt single, then proceeded to swipe both second and third base before coming home on a wild pitch. Volpe has gone a perfect 13-for-13 on theft attempts this season, and he ranks fifth overall in the league in that category. Strikeouts are a problem -- he has posted a 28.6 percent strikeout rate -- but Volpe has played well enough to maintain his role as New York's everyday shortstop.

Volpe went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 6-5 win over the Rays.

The rookie shortstop socked a solo shot off Josh Fleming in the fifth inning before adding an RBI single in the seventh. Volpe has two homers in the last three games, giving him five on the season, but he's still looking for some consistency in the majors -- through 11 games in May he's batting just .191 (9-for-47) with a 2:12 BB:K.

Volpe is batting seventh and starting at shortstop Friday in the Yankees' game versus the Rays.

It's Volpe's first start since April 15 that's not out of the leadoff spot. The rookie is just 2-for-27 over his last six games and with the Yankees' offense slumping, manager Aaron Boone has opted to change things up. Gleyber Torres is up at the top of the order Friday.

Volpe went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 11-3 victory over the Athletics.

Volpe extended the Yankees' lead to 11-2 with his first career grand slam, a 419-foot shot off Rico Garcia in the fifth inning. It was Volpe's fourth home run of the season. The 22-year-old shortstop had been slumping coming into Wednesday's contest, going 3-for-27 in his last six contests. Volpe is now slashing .205/.300/.348 with 13 RBI, 15 runs scored and 11 stolen bases through his first 150 plate appearances.

Volpe went 2-for-5 with a stolen base Friday in a loss to the Rays.

Volpe has been perking up at the plate of late, recording multiple hits in two of his past three contests. He's also swiped three bags over that span, and he's now a perfect 11-for-11 on theft attempts this season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently called Volpe "one of the best baserunners" he's ever seen, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, and the rookie is living up to that high praise with his speed and savvy on the basepaths thus far.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a second run scored and two stolen bases in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Guardians.

The rookie shortstop got the Yankees on the board by taking Tanner Bibee deep in the sixth inning, and Volpe came home with the game's final run in the eighth after getting himself over to third base after a single. Tuesday's activity on the basepaths snapped a 10-game streak without a stolen base for the 22-year-old, but he's a perfect 10-for-10 on steal attempts to begin his MLB career, and his bat has come around too. After a shaky first couple weeks at the plate, Volpe is slashing .275/.375/.449 over his last 20 games.

Volpe isn't in the Yankees' lineup Friday against the Rangers.

Currently in the middle of a four-game hitting streak, Volpe will get a breather for Friday's contest. Oswald Peraza will take Volpe's place at shortstop and bat fifth.

Volpe went 2-for-3 with two walks, a two-run double, three runs scored and an additional RBI in Wednesday's 12-6 win over the Twins.

Volpe struck out in his first plate appearance, but he smacked an RBI single his next time up and hit a two-run double in his third at-bat. He came around to score after both of those base knocks and notched a third run after walking in the eighth and scoring on a DJ LeMahieu sacrifice fly. It's been a mixed bag for Volpe to start his big-league career, but he's hit safely in six of his last eight, recording three multi-hit games and five RBI during that stretch.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's win over Toronto.

It's the second homer of the season for Volpe, and it was a big one as it broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning off Yimi Garcia. The talented rookie got off to a dreadful start with a .129 average over his first 10 games, but he's been much better at the plate since then, and he appears to be thriving in the leadoff spot. There will be some highs and lows with Volpe over his first year of MLB action, but there should be enough good to justify the frustrating spurts where he struggles.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in a 3-2 extra-inning win over the Angels on Wednesday.

Volpe batted out of the leadoff spot for the third straight contest and produced New York's only multi-hit effort. The speedy rookie opened the Yankees' half of the first inning with a single and came around to score on Aaron Judge's fifth homer of the season. Volpe later walked in the third frame and proceeded to second on a wild pitch before swiping third. After notching 48 thefts in the minors last season, Volpe has started his MLB career a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts. Though he's hitting just .204 thus far, his ability to get on base (he has a .338 OBP thanks largely to working 11 walks in 18 games) and wreak havoc on the basepaths may help keep him in the leadoff spot moving forward.

Volpe will bat leadoff again for the Yankees on Tuesday against the Angels, manager Aaron Boone said in an interview on the Talkin' Yanks podcast.

It will be the second straight game that Volpe is in the leadoff spot in a lineup which also features DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu batted fifth Sunday and it appears he might remain in more of an RBI spot while Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) is sidelined. Volpe has struggled on the whole at the plate so far but does have exactly one hit -- including his first home run -- in five straight games along with three walks over that span. It would certainly be a boost to his fantasy outlook if he's going to be hitting leadoff for a while after previously being stuck batting ninth.

Volpe went 1-for-4 with one steal in Sunday's win over Minnesota.

Volpe led off the fifth inning with an infield single before eventually stealing second, his seventh stolen base of the season and his fourth in two games. The rookie shortstop is tied for second in the league in stolen bases, as he's now a perfect 7-for-7 on attempts. Volpe has also hit safely in five straight games, raising his slash line to .191/.309/.319 through his first 47 at-bats.

Volpe went 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and three stolen bases in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Twins.

The rookie was Christian Vazquez's worst nightmare, stealing second base in the fifth inning and then second and third in the eighth without being caught once. Volpe is a perfect 6-for-6 on pilfers through his first 15 MLB games, and the rest of his offense is beginning to come around as well as he's hit safely in four straight games, reaching base seven times in 15 plate appearances during that stretch.

Volpe went 1-for-3 with a walk, two strikeouts and the first home run of his big-league career Friday against the Twins.

It was a 394-foot solo shot with a 99.8 mph exit velocity. Volpe's strikeout rate is now 34 percent on the year, but at least his 12.8 percent walk rate is strong while providing solid defense at shortstop. He has hit leadoff in two of the three games since DJ LeMahieu (quad) has been sidelined, but LeMahieu is expected back Saturday.

Volpe is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff for the Yankees in Friday's game against the Twins.

It's been Volpe in the leadoff spot for two of the three games DJ LeMahieu (quad) has been sidelined. Volpe has struggled to get going at the dish, as he'll bring a .158/.256/.237 slash line into Friday's festivities.

Volpe will not be in the Yankees' lineup for Tuesday's game in Baltimore, manager Aaron Boone told the Talkin' Yanks podcast Tuesday.

It will be the rookie's first day off of the season after he started the first 10 games. Oswaldo Cabrera will be at shortstop Tuesday. Volpe has struggled out of the gate, going 4-for-31 at the dish. He has just one hit in his last five games.

Volpe picked up his third stolen base of the season while going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's 6-0 victory versus San Francisco.

Volpe has gone hitless in two of three games to start his MLB career, but he's reached base via walk in both of those hitless contests and has swiped a bag in all three of his appearances thus far. The rookie stole 48 bags across two minor-league levels last season, and he's already showing that he has the speed and timing to be a prolific base stealer in the majors. Volpe's performance thus far has justified New York's decision to commit to the 21-year-old as their primary shortstop in a season during which they have World Series aspirations.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters before Sunday's game against the Giants that Volpe could hit leadoff at times during the 2023 season, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Boone mentioned that he considered moving Volpe to the top of the order for Sunday's game with DJ LeMahieu out of the lineup, but he likes the rookie shortstop hitting ninth due to his on-base ability and speed. A move to the top spot on occasion would potentially be beneficial for fantasy purposes as it would give him more plate appearances and the chance to score more runs. Even in the nine spot, Volpe has a chance to be a strong fantasy option because of his speed and Aaron Judge hitting behind him one way or another.

Volpe went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Giants.

Volpe is already making a spark from the bottom of the order in the Yankees' first two games. After going 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in his MLB debut in Thursday's 5-0 win, Volpe registered his first two big-league hits Saturday and continued to showcase his wheels on the bases. He'll remain in the lineup for Sunday's series finale, manning shortstop and batting ninth.

Volpe went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's 5-0 win over San Francisco.

The 21-year-old got a loud reaction from the Bronx faithful during pregame introductions. He worked a walk in his first big-league plate appearance and quickly stole second base, flashing just some of the skills that make him a top prospect. Volpe also turned his first double play in pinstripes, a sixth-inning twin killing behind Gerrit Cole. It looks like Volpe will be batting ninth in the order for the time being.

The Yankees selected Volpe's contract and added him to the active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Giants. He'll start at shortstop and bat ninth in the Opening Day game.

The team confirmed over the weekend that Volpe would break camp with the big club, but the transaction wasn't made official until shortly before the season opener. The 21-year-old Volpe pushed his way on the roster after posting a 1.033 OPS with three home runs and five stolen bases in 19 Grapefruit League games. Despite the strong showing in Florida, Volpe will still have to earn his way up the batting order by continuing to turn in productive at-bats during the early weeks of the regular season.