'Pop' in Volpe's shoulder giving Yankees déjà vu

NEW YORK – Anthony Volpe was at the center of a concerned huddle during the eighth inning on Saturday, grimacing as his left shoulder was put through a battery of strength-test exercises on the left side of the Yankee Stadium infield. It seemed impossible not to consider a worst-case scenario.

Just days ago, the Yankees lost second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. for at least a month to a right oblique strain, and now the other half of their double-play combination was saying he felt “a pop” in his shoulder after diving for a ground-ball single.

That Volpe continued to play is encouraging, though it was hardly a banner inning for the shortstop. The Christopher Morel leadoff single that ticked off Volpe’s glove sparked a comeback against Mark Leiter Jr., and the go-ahead run scored on a Volpe error as the Yankees fell to the Rays, 3-2, at Yankee Stadium.

“It happened quick and it was scary, but after that, I felt OK and I felt like I had my strength,” Volpe said. “I’ve never really had anything else pop or dislocate or anything like that, so I have nothing to compare it to.”

That statement prompts cautious optimism about Volpe’s situation, though Chisholm’s experience just days prior would warn against any overconfidence.

After exiting Tuesday's game during the club’s series in Baltimore, Chisholm expressed nonchalance, saying it was precautionary and that he expected to be back in the lineup after a day or two. Chisholm was stunned when an MRI taken on Thursday in New York revealed not one, but three high-grade tears in his oblique.

“I was super surprised when I saw the results,” Chisholm said. “It’s not as bad as it looks on the scan.”

So now the Yankees hope to avoid a similar situation with Volpe, their depth already being tested in multiple areas. Volpe said he was able to swing a bat in the cages underneath the first-base grandstand and felt “good,” while an X-ray performed postgame showed no structural damage.

“Once he got up and was moving around, he felt fine,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We wanted to make sure strength-wise he was in a good position, and we felt like he was.”

It is likely Volpe will undergo an MRI before being completely cleared. Volpe said he didn’t know if or when that would take place.

The Rays used speed to slip past the Yankees, going 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts against catcher Austin Wells. While Volpe flexed his shoulder between pitches in the eighth, pinch-runner Chandler Simpson swiped second base, then participated on the front end of a double steal that set up Curtis Mead’s game-tying bloop single.

“They definitely ran a lot today and got good jumps,” Wells said. “They gave themselves opportunities to get in scoring position. I think that’s their game and what they do.”

José Caballero followed with a grounder to Volpe, who fumbled his chance at a double play, unable to record an out as Brandon Lowe trotted home. Volpe said he “was trying to turn two before I secured the ball.”

The Yankees avoided further damage thanks to Cody Bellinger’s circus catch in left field, reaching high above his head to secure a Kameron Misner liner that appeared destined for extra bases.

“I didn’t have the greatest first step, but I was glad I was able to make up the ground,” Bellinger said.

The late shift spoiled an afternoon in which Aaron Judge and Wells homered for the Yanks, with Judge lifting his team-leading 11th -- the captain’s sixth in a first inning this season. Judge’s 71 career first-inning homers are tied with Derek Jeter for fourth most in franchise history; only Babe Ruth (126), Mickey Mantle (103) and Lou Gehrig (84) hit more.

Ryan Yarbrough tossed four innings of one-run, one-hit ball in his longest outing of the season, drawing a spot start in place of Clarke Schmidt, who was scratched from his scheduled outing due to right flank discomfort. Schmidt underwent an MRI on Saturday, which was clean, and said he will prepare to face the Padres on Tuesday.

Wells’ drive off Tampa Bay starter Zack Littell was the catcher’s sixth of the season, providing the Yanks with a fifth-inning lead. Eighth-inning singles by Trent Grisham and Bellinger set up a two-on, two-out chance for Judge, who has been excellent in all offensive situations, including with runners in scoring position (14-for-26, .538).

But Edwin Uceta prevailed, inducing Judge to hit a hard inning-ending grounder to shortstop Taylor Walls.

“He’s truly special. Obviously, you can’t get the job done every single time,” Bellinger said.