Daily Report – 9/11/26
Yankees
Isn’t it fitting that on the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, #11 returned to the Yankees’ lineup and hit a grand slam?
It gives you chills.
For the first time since August 1, Anthony Volpe played in the Majors, but at a new position. For the first time in his Major League career, Volpe played second base. His work in the Minors has paid off, and he helped the Yankees secure a 10-3 victory and a series sweep of the Colorado Rockies.
During his four seasons as a Yankee, Volpe has never complained. He has been one of the club’s most scrutinized players in the last five years, especially because of his frequent defensive blunders. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that he won a Gold Glove in his rookie season, and he hit a grand slam in the World Series.
The Yankees put a lot on Volpe’s plate as soon as he debuted in 2023. He became a bright spot in a lost season, but fans forgot all about that when he struggled at the back end of the lineup in 2024. He experienced a sophomore slump and never got the chance to rebound in 2025, since he tore his labrum.
But for most of last season, the Yankees’ front office refused to admit that Volpe was injured. Yet, each time he received a cortisone shot, he would start to slug again. The strong righty bat was still there, but a shoulder injury held it back.
This season, Volpe got a late start because he was recovering from shoulder surgery. He was only thrown back into the mix because José Caballero injured his finger. Suddenly, a battle ensued for the starting shortstop role until Volpe’s struggles became impossible to justify.
So, the Yankees demoted the 25-year-old they once deemed their shortstop of the future. As they called up George Lombard Jr., they taught Volpe how to play second base in Triple-A. He put up outstanding numbers down there, earning his call-up yesterday when Jazz Chisholm Jr. landed on the injured list.
“He hasn’t done anything but continue to work and grind,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He [made] a massive impact tonight, and it’s really good to see him having the quality of at-bats he did.”
Volpe’s return was met with cheers from fans all over Yankee Stadium, and much more than he expected. Flashing a new haircut and a confident spark in his eye, Volpe was ready to prove he belongs on the Yankees’ final roster. Plus, the Yankees need another reliable right-handed bat.
In his first at-bat, Volpe saw seven pitches before pulling the eighth one to left field for an RBI single. He grounded out in his second appearance, but muscled an infield single in his third.
Then, with two outs in the seventh inning, as the Stadium chanted his name, Volpe launched a hanging sinker just high enough the opposite way for the third grand slam of his career, and his first since the 2024 World Series.
“I wanted to be back up here,” Volpe said. “I wanted to be helping and contributing, but when you’re down there, there’s obviously no guarantees. You work really hard for yourself and for the player that you feel like can help the organization.”
Behind Max Fried on the mound, the Yankees’ offense jumped early against Colorado. In the first inning, Luis García Jr. hit a two-run home run into Monument Park, his 30th of the season. The lefty first baseman has become a critical part of the lineup since the Yankees acquired him at the trade deadline.
It was a grind for Fried, though. Making his third start since his second IL stint of the season, Fried needed 80 pitches to get through 3 1/3 innings. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks and struck out seven batters, but the Rockies made the most of every plate appearance.
“They saw a lot of good pitches,” Fried said. “They were having some good at-bats and not chasing. I felt like I was getting ahead, then throwing some non-competitive pitches.
“It was just a weird outing where I was executing in certain counts, but I also had a lot of bad misses that caused a lot of deep counts. Going 80 pitches and not getting through four [innings] is not ideal.”
The only run Fried allowed was a solo shot by Kyle Karros in the second inning. Fried ran into some trouble in the third when Connor Norby reached on a throw across the diamond that García couldn’t scoop, but he got Hunter Goodman to ground out, ending the inning.
In the third frame, Fried walked TJ Rumfield on seven pitches and struck Cole Carrigg out on six, but because he was on a pitch count, Boone pulled him. Michael Fulmer secured the next two outs, stranding Rumfield and maintaining the Yankees’ 4-1 lead.
“We’re looking forward to having me being completely built up for the end of the season and the playoffs,” said Fried, who missed 56 games with a left elbow bone bruise and, a month later, another 13 days with related complications.
“They’ve had a plan,” Fried added. “As much as I would love to fast-forward the plan and just say, ‘Let’s throw it all out the window,’ they’ve got a lot of really smart people here who work really hard to try to make sure I’m gonna be healthy for when it matters most.”
John Schreiber tossed a scoreless fifth inning, and Ryan Yarbrough made it through 1 1/3. With two outs in the seventh, he left a runner on base for Brent Headrick, who surrendered a triple to Jake McCarthy, Colorado’s leadoff hitter.
Then, the Yankees responded with six runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a bullet two-run single by Spencer Jones and Volpe’s grand slam.
“I don’t know if physically [things changed] as much as mentally, having the mindset I wanted to get a lot out of it,” Volpe said of his time in Triple-A. “You have a game every night, try out different stuff, see what works. You feel like it’s gonna translate in case an opportunity like this comes.”
Colorado scored a run off Luis Gil in the eighth because Jasson Domínguez couldn’t scoop a routine roller. Then, the Rockies loaded the bases off Gil in the ninth, but with a strikeout and two shallow flyouts, he stranded all three baserunners.
With the win, the Yankees moved a full game closer to Tampa Bay in the standings. Now, they rank 3.0 games behind the Rays for first place and 4.5 games (really 5.5) ahead of Boston for third. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four, but they could clinch tomorrow if:
They win tonight and tomorrow, AND Toronto loses today and tomorrow, AND Texas loses today or tomorrow.
Before tonight’s game at 7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT), the Yankees will host a special ceremony to honor the lives lost 25 years ago on September 11, 2001 (YES, WPIX, Gotham Sports). The Yankees will recognize the NYPD, FDNY, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and Tuesday’s Promise. Former players from the 2001 team will also participate in the ceremony.
Opera singer James Valenti will sing the national anthem, Lee Greenwood will perform “God Bless the USA,” and Brielle Saracini and her husband Sean McGuire will throw out the ceremonial first pitches.
Saracini’s story is a key piece of Yankees history, as her father captained the plane that crashed into the South Tower. She was just a little girl, and she wrote a letter to Derek Jeter explaining it was her lifelong dream to meet him. One day, Jeter called her, invited her and her family to the Stadium, and the rest is history.
I highly encourage everyone to watch MLB Network’s new documentary “When America Took the Field.” It includes Saracini’s story.
LHP Carlos Rodón (5-3, 3.09 ERA) will start the first game of the second leg of the Subway Series against Mets ace RHP Nolan McLean (11-8, 3.06). The Mets took two of three games at Citi Field in May, so the Yankees must return the favor.
But the Mets are on a hot streak. They have won four straight games and six of their last seven. They always play tough against the Yankees, who must defend home turf.
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
DH Ben Rice (L)
LF Cody Bellinger (L)
RF Aaron Judge (R) (C)
1B Luis García Jr. (L)
CF Spencer Jones (L)
SS George Lombard Jr. (R)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
C Austin Wells (L)
2B Anthony Volpe (R)
SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (5-3, 3.09 ERA)
Tomorrow, at 1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT), RHP Gerrit Cole (8-8, 3.41 ERA) will start against LHP Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53 ERA) (YES, WPIX, Gotham Sports)
On Sunday, at 1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT), RHP Cam Schlittler (13-6, 2.01 ERA) will mind the rubber against RHP Christian Scott (4-4, 3.81 ERA).
Yankees Transactions:
9/11: NYY optioned RF Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
9/11: NYY recalled RHP Bradley Hanner from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
9/10: NYY placed 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (right thumb sprain) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to 9/9
9/10: NYY recalled IF Anthony Volpe from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Schedule
Tonight 9/11:
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2026 US Open, Second Men’s Semifinal – Frances Tiafoe [11] vs. Ben Shelton [8]; ESPN, ESPN App
7:05 PM (6:05 PM CDT): 2026 Subway Series, Game 4 – NYY vs. NYM; YES, WPIX, Gotham Sports; SP: LHP Carlos Rodón (5-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP Nolan McLean (11-8, 3.06 ERA)
5:30 PM (4:30 PM CDT): SPECIAL New York Yankees Pregame; YES, Gotham Sports
Saturday 9/12:
1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT): 2026 Subway Series, Game 5 – NYY vs. NYM; YES, SNY, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Gerrit Cole (8-8, 3.41 ERA) vs. LHP Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53 ERA)
4:00 PM (3:00 PM CDT): 2026 US Open, Women’s Championship – TBA vs. TBA; ESPN, ESPN App
Sunday 9/13:
1:00 PM (12:00 PM CDT): NFL on CBS, Week 1 – New York Jets at Tennessee Titans; CBS, Paramount+
1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT): 2026 Subway Series, Game 6 – NYY vs. NYM; YES, SNY, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Cam Schlittler (13-6, 2.01 ERA) vs. RHP Christian Scott (4-4, 3.81 ERA)
2:00 PM (1:00 PM CDT): 2026 US Open, Men’s Championship – TBA vs. TBA; ABC, ESPN App
1:00 PM (12:00 PM CDT): 2026 US Open Men’s Championship Preshow; ABC, ESPN App
8:20 PM (7:20 PM CDT): Sunday Night Football (SNF), Week 1 – New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys; NBC, Peacock
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): Football Night in America (FNIA); NBC, Peacock
8:00 PM (7:00 PM CDT): Hyundai Sunday Night Kickoff; NBC, Peacock
8:10 PM (7:10 PM CDT): GEICO Sunday Night Anthem; NBC, Peacock
Image Courtesies: New York Yankees
