Yankees’ Anthony Volpe debuts for Somerset … facing Phillies’ Zack Wheeler!
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe began a rehab assignment on Tuesday night playing for the Double-A Somerset Patriots.
NEW YORK — Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe smiled his way through a nine-minute interview after his first game since offseason left shoulder surgery, five innings in the field and two at-bats Tuesday night with the Double-A Somerset Patriots. “I feel amazing,” Volpe told reporters after the Patriots rallied for a 9-6 victory over the Reading Fightin’ Phils in Bridgewater. “It’s a big milestone, a big checkpoint, so it felt good to get back out there.
” Playing was so much fun for Volpe that he didn’t seem to mind being overmatched at the plate in the first game of a rehab assignment that he hopes doesn’t last much more than a week. The competition was as tough as it gets. Volpe was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts facing Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who retired the first 14 of the first 15 batters and struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings in his fourth rehab start.
Batting second behind Yankees No. 1 George Lombard Jr. , who moved from short to third base, Volpe whiffed on three pitches in the first inning and struck out swinging again in the fourth after fouling off two 3-2 offerings.
“It was great,” Volpe said. “(Wheeler) looked good. It was a great challenge.