ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jose Caballero walked back into Tropicana Field on Monday night and did something nobody else in the New York Yankees lineup could manage for eight innings. He hit.
The former Rays infielder crushed two home runs against his old club, drove in four runs, and powered the Yankees to a 5-1 victory over first-place Tampa Bay in the opener of a four-game series. His three-run shot in the fifth inning broke up a no-hit bid and handed rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler all the support he needed.
Caballero added a solo homer to left field in the eighth, sealing his first multi-homer game since August of last season. That one also came against the Rays. Ben Rice tacked on a ninth-inning blast, and Schlittler allowed one run in a dominant start as the Yankees moved within three games of the AL East lead.
Then came the postgame question everyone saw coming. Is Caballero now the starting shortstop in the Bronx?
Aaron Boone came up with shocking answer.
Boone’s hate story with Caballero
Asked directly after the win whether he considers Caballero his starting shortstop, the Yankees manager called it a “day by day” decision, according to reporters in the clubhouse.
Boone explained that his initial lineup cards have listed Caballero at shortstop more often than the infielder has actually played there lately. Injuries and illness elsewhere on the roster forced late shuffles. Then the manager pointed to the trait that has defined Caballero’s role since his arrival from Tampa Bay at last year’s trade deadline.
“His versatility is so valuable,” Boone said.
The answer raised eyebrows because the moment seemed built for a stronger commitment. Caballero had just delivered the loudest offensive night by any Yankees hitter in more than a week, on a club that entered the game having lost nine of its last 10.
The numbers make the case for Caballero
The season-long comparison between Caballero and Anthony Volpe has tilted in one direction. Caballero is slashing .249/.304/.407 with a .711 OPS, which would be a career best. His 10 home runs already set a personal high, his 99 wRC+ ties one, and he has 33 RBIs with 5 defensive runs saved at shortstop. He is also one of four American League players with at least 10 homers and 20 stolen bases this season.
Volpe entered the series hitting .242 with one home run, 13 RBIs, and a .668 OPS across 40 games. A more damning figure circulated widely on social media Monday: Volpe is the only player in MLB history with more than 1,800 plate appearances and an on-base percentage below .285.
The team results echo the individual gap. The Yankees are 32-18 this season when Caballero starts at shortstop. They are 16-20 when Volpe starts there. The sample sizes differ, since Volpe missed time earlier in the year, but the split has become a rallying point for fans who believe the position should already be settled.
Fairness demands one caveat. Neither player has hit much lately. According to splits shared by the Yankees-focused account YankeeSource on X, Volpe has posted a 77 wRC+ since June 1 while Caballero sits at 76 over the same stretch. Monday was Caballero’s loudest answer to that slump.
Boone’s Friday remarks hinted at his thinking
The manager’s caution did not appear out of nowhere. Days before the series, Boone was asked how the Yankees’ shortstop picture would look once the roster gets healthy, and his answer suggested Volpe remains firmly in the plan. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic relayed the response.
“Yeah when we’re whole, he’ll (Caballero) play there,” Boone said. “Anthony will play there some, obviously. Still try and take advantage of (Caballero’s) versatility where we can.”
The comment cut both ways. Boone acknowledged Caballero will man shortstop when the club is whole, yet he also guaranteed playing time for Volpe and framed Caballero’s flexibility as a reason to keep moving him around. With Trent Grisham back in the outfield, that argument has weakened, since Caballero is no longer needed on the grass.
Kirschner offered his own view of the debate Monday on X, and it landed on neither player.
“Here’s what I feel like many are missing in this Volpe vs. Caballero debate: Neither of them are great answers,” Kirschner wrote, adding in the same post, “The Yankees have to hope Lombard is.”
George Lombard Jr., the organization’s top prospect, has been on the minor league injured list since June 18 with sprained fingers on his left hand. The 21-year-old shortstop was slashing .258/.387/.446 with eight home runs through 62 games before the injury, according to his minor league statistics.
A pivotal series will force Boone’s hand
The stakes around the decision keep rising. Monday’s win lifted the Yankees to 50-40, three games behind the 52-36 Rays, with three more games at Tropicana Field this week. The series could shape the AL East race heading into the All-Star break, and the postseason race leaves little margin for an unsettled lineup.
Boone will reveal his answer one lineup card at a time. If Caballero’s name sits at shortstop again Tuesday, the “day by day” framing will look like a soft landing for Volpe. If it does not, a two-homer night against a first-place team will have bought Caballero nothing more than another audition.
Either way, the manager’s refusal to commit ensured the shortstop debate followed the Yankees out of a badly needed victory. For now, the job belongs to whoever Boone writes in next.
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