The Anthony Volpe scare seemingly has ended.
The everyday Yankees shortstop went 2-for-5 with a double Sunday in his return to the lineup after he was lifted from Friday’s game when his left elbow swelled up following a plunking.
Volpe appeared to be in significant pain when Walker Buehler drilled him with an 88.8 mph pitch, and he was removed before his next at-bat.
He did not get in the batters’ box Saturday, though he pinch ran in the eighth inning and played defense in the ninth in the loss.
Volpe began swinging again Sunday, reported that he was “feeling a lot better” to Aaron Boone and then took his at-bats while sporting new protection on his elbow.
“Good to get him back in,” the manager said before falling 11-7 to the Red Sox in The Bronx.
The 24-year-old has been a rock at the position since debuting in 2023, having appeared in 382 of a possible 387 regular-season games.
He has never hit the injured list despite a few concerns, including a sore shoulder in early May that cost him one game and nothing more.
This time it was an unpadded left elbow that became a worry, but X-rays and a CT scan revealed no damage.
“It’s everything to me,” Volpe said Friday of being an everyday player. “You want to be available for them.”
Cody Bellinger (1-for-4 with a walk and run scored) is slashing .319/.394/.552 over his past 30 games.
In his second rehab outing, Jake Cousins stretched out to two innings in which he allowed one unearned run on two hits while striking out three with High-A Hudson Valley on Saturday.
Boone said he received a positive report regarding Cousins, who now likely will move up to Double-A Somerset or Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“Continues to move in the right direction,” Boone said of Cousins, who is building up from a right elbow flexor strain and could become an option soon.
The Yankees claimed infielder CJ Alexander from the A’s and optioned him to SWB.
Alexander, a 28-year-old flexible defender with 10 games of major league experience, is a lefty swinger with a career .832 OPS in 222 games at the Triple-A level.
Against righty Hunter Dobbins, Jasson Domínguez became the odd man out of the lineup.
Bellinger started in left field, Trent Grisham in center and Ben Rice served as designated hitter.
After four straight starts, Austin Wells was out of the starting lineup as J.C. Escarra caught.
Escarra went 0-for-2 before Wells pinch hit in the seventh, struck out and later walked in the ninth.
