Yankees' Anthony Volpe available but Jose Caballero starts at shortstop again

MINNEAPOLIS — Before Sunday night’s loss to the Red Sox in Boston, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he expected Anthony Volpe to be available starting on Monday when his club started a three-game series against the Twins.

But being available and being back in the starting lineup are two different things.

And for the sixth straight game, it was Jose Caballero at shortstop rather than Volpe, who has been dealing with an ailing shoulder but whose status as an everyday player, before the shoulder issue became public, had already been characterized as a “day-to-day” proposition by Boone.

“I expect Anthony to be a full player today, [Sunday] he was probably a limited player if I wanted him,” Boone said before Monday night’s game. “Today I kind of feel like, whatever role we need, he should be good to go. Hopefully start to get in the mix here more.”

Volpe, who has struggled on both sides of the ball in what is his third season in the majors, had a cortisone shot in his left shoulder last Wednesday to treat a slight labrum tear.

The 24-year-old hurt the shoulder initially diving for a ball against the Rays on May 3, raising red flags afterward when he said after that game that he heard a “pop” in the shoulder. Volpe underwent testing shortly thereafter and Boone characterized the results as “good news” in respect that it wasn’t considered something that would sideline the player, which it did not. But it turned out Volpe ended up playing with a small tear.

But it bears repeating that before the most recent diagnosis that required the cortisone shot Boone said “we’re in day-to-day mode” when it comes to daily shortstop duties for the club.

And Caballero, one of seven players acquired before this year’s trade deadline, has taken his opportunity and run  with it, doing nothing to indicate the Yankees are, for the moment, better off with anyone but him at short.

Entering Monday, Caballero was 6-for-18 (.333) with two doubles, a homer and three stolen bases in his previous five games.

Since joining the Yankees, he’s hitting .262 with three homers, four doubles and an .828 OPS in 31 games. stolen 12 of his MLB-leading 46 bases.

All of that in addition to playing shortstop at a far higher level than Volpe, who won a Gold Glove at short as a rookie in 2023 and was good overall there again in 2024 before regressing this season (he ranked second in MLB in errors coming into Monday with 19).

“He’s playing great,” Boone said of Caballero, who has also started games in leftfield, rightfield, third and second for the Yankees. “We’re at that time of year where, as I’ve said, it’s kind of all hands on deck. Everyone’s going to play an important role. You never know on a given day who has the most important role, but I expect them both to play an important role for us down the stretch.”

Specifically speaking of what has most impressed him about Caballero in a Yankees’ uniform, Boone said: “He’s just kind of a gamer. What stands out to me about him is the confidence he plays the game with. You obviously see that confidence on the bases, sometimes it makes you a little nervous because he’s so daring, but it’s a confidence that elevates his game. He’s really comfortable in the field wherever you put him. He’s comfortable in the batter’s box. He’s a winning player.”

Speaking after Sunday’s game, one in which he homered over Fenway Park’s Green Monster in left and who also made a spectacular defensive play to end the bottom of the eighth and save a run, Caballero said getting consistent reps has “helped a lot” in getting into a rhythm. But the 29-year-old steered clear of being too outspoken when asked what he feels he’s shown the organization playing everyday the last week at short.

“I’m just trying to help the team win,” Caballero said. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I do, it’s what the team does. As long as we keep winning games I’m going to be really happy, and I’m going to do my best to try to help the team win.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.