Yankees Lose All-Star Grichuk to Free Agency Amid Infield Shuffle

NEW YORK (Day.News) — The New York Yankees' roster took an unexpected turn on May 1 when outfielder Randal Grichuk, a 2023 All-Star with the St. Louis Cardinals, opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Grichuk, acquired by New York in the offseason to bolster the corner outfield, struggled to secure consistent playing time amid the team's hot streak, winning 11 of their last 13 games entering Sunday. The departure compounds infield decisions as shortstop Anthony Volpe, sidelined since Oct. 14 shoulder surgery, completed the maximum 20 days of his minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset without activation. Manager Aaron Boone announced Friday that Volpe, batting .278 with one homer and four RBIs over 11 minor league games, would stay sidelined through Sunday to allow infielder Jose Caballero to continue his strong play. "We'll kind of reevaluate where we are after Sunday," Boone said before the Yankees' 7-2 victory over Baltimore at Yankee Stadium. On the pitching front, left-hander Carlos Rodon nears a return from injury, having thrown a full inning of live batting practice recently. He is expected back in early May to stabilize the rotation for Bronx fans. The Yankees recalled infielder Max Schuemann and right-hander Elmer Rodríguez from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 29, signaling active roster management as they defend their AL East lead.