Yankees Facing Decisions with Caballero and Volpe

MINNEAPOLIS – The Yankees’ lineup saw some changes as they evaluated their players during a brief stop on Monday.

Jose Caballero remained in the spotlight.

In his sixth consecutive game against the Twins at Target Field, Caballero was back in the lineup alongside Anthony Volpe. He had received a cortisone shot for his left shoulder last Wednesday, which seemed to pay off as the team approached a tough stretch.

Manager Aaron Boone spoke before the game, emphasizing the importance of every player’s role. “You never know who might step up on a given day, but I really hope they all contribute significantly,” he said.

Boone mentioned that he could have started Volpe if the 24-year-old had recovered well from the shot, but didn’t want to rush things with the schedule ahead.

He avoided specifying who would start, especially since Caballero had just arrived after a long night trip from Boston, which seemed like a good opportunity for him to fit in.

Even if Caballero was in line for more starting opportunities, Boone was cautious with his wording when discussing Volpe’s situation in the remaining weeks of the season.

“I get it,” Boone stated. “It’s really day-to-day,” which left some questions hanging.

The series began with Caballero having replaced Volpe, who was dealing with the shoulder issue. By the following day, it surfaced that Volpe had previously undergone an injection for a partially torn labrum.

“I think he’ll be back to contribute soon,” Boone said, hoping Volpe could join the action again shortly.

It’s not unexpected that Volpe wasn’t starting in the series against the Twins, especially since the Yankees’ schedule was packed with 13 games in 13 days. Still, his exact role moving forward was uncertain.

Caballero made the most of his playing time during this stretch. Over the last five games, he hit impressively, showcasing his skills with a .333 batting average, including three stolen bases and a significant home run.

He also made a critical defensive play in the eighth inning of the last game against the Red Sox, helping maintain the Yankees’ momentum, even if they didn’t clinch a win.

“He’s a gamer,” Boone remarked, highlighting Caballero’s confidence on the field.

As of Monday, Caballero had posted a 1.1 bWAR over just 31 games, which was comparable to Volpe’s performance across 141 games. In terms of FWAR, Caballero even led Volpe 0.9 to 0.6.

The balancing act regarding Volpe’s playing time was delicate. After receiving a cortisone shot during the All-Star break, he had a solid run, ending with a .280 batting average and a 1.035 OPS over 14 games.

The Yankees are hopeful that the latest injection will result in similar improvement, but with the clock ticking, they’re reluctant to test things out too freely at this point in the season.