NEW YORK — The assumption seemed obvious. If Jose Caballero’s right middle finger injury forced an IL stint, the Yankees may be tempted to recall Anthony Volpe. He was the former starter and had the pedigree.
The situation is more complicated than that. Volpe is not playing well at Triple-A. A teammate is. The Yankees have a call-up decision on their hands and Volpe may not be the answer.
How the Caballero injury unfolded and what an IL stint would trigger
Jose Caballero injured his right middle finger Sunday in Milwaukee diving back into first base. A sliding glove offered no protection. He sat out Monday’s start in Baltimore, entered as a pinch runner and was thrown out stealing second. Boone was measured but concerned when discussing the injury.
“There’s definitely some concern because Cabby, he’s as tough as they come,” Boone said. “Just had a little hard time when he went to throw today. The good thing is hitting was good. So we’ll see. He’s going to get some tests Tuesday morning. See what we have over the next day or two.”
Caballero holds a 1.6 bWAR, the fifth-highest on the Yankees roster. His strong play forced the club to send Volpe to Triple-A when Volpe came off the IL last week rather than return him to shortstop. Two Triple-A options exist for a replacement. The choice between them is not as simple as many Yankees fans assumed it would be when Caballero first got hurt.
Volpe is 4-for-24 since his demotion with a .472 OPS
Volpe was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre one week ago after Caballero’s production made it impossible to remove the shortstop from the Yankees lineup. The demotion was jarring for many Yankees fans. Volpe had been the franchise cornerstone at shortstop. He came back from the injured list expecting to reclaim his position. Caballero had earned it.
The first week at Triple-A has not gone well. Volpe is 4-for-24 with a .472 OPS in five games. Boone said he has not spoken to Volpe since delivering the demotion news last Sunday.
Asked how a 25-year-old handles that kind of setback while in a contract year, Boone was straightforward.
“Definitely it’s challenging to deal with that, but everyone has challenges they’ve got to deal with and some adversity they’ve got to deal with,” Boone said. “He’s mentally a very tough kid and that’ll serve him well as he navigates this.”
Boone’s faith in Volpe is real. He has always spoken about the shortstop as a core piece of the Yankees’ future. That long-term view does not change the short-term math. The recent production at Scranton is not something the Yankees can overlook if they need someone who can contribute right now.
Cabrera is hitting .389 with a 1.032 OPS in his last nine games
While Volpe struggled, Oswaldo Cabrera complicated the conversation. After a slow start to 2026, Cabrera has gone 14-for-36 with a 1.032 OPS over his last nine Triple-A games. That is a .389 average over a stretch that has changed how the Yankees are thinking about the call-up decision. A player posting those numbers is hard to pass over regardless of who else is available.
Cabrera also brings something Volpe cannot currently offer. He plays multiple positions. A team managing injuries and a four-game losing streak needs roster flexibility. Cabrera provides it. Boone can use him at multiple spots without reshuffling the entire infield. That kind of versatility carries genuine value when the Yankees roster is already stretched thin in May.
Volpe has played shortstop exclusively. Whether the Yankees would deploy him elsewhere remains an open question. That limitation reduces his value in a scenario where versatility has direct roster benefits.
Yankees could also build a short-term internal solution
A third option requires no call-up at all. The Yankees already have Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Max Schuemann available on the active roster. Schuemann started Monday at shortstop when Caballero sat out and handled the assignment without issue. A short-term platoon across those three could bridge a brief Caballero absence without committing to a larger roster statement about Volpe or Cabrera. Boone said he is comfortable with Schuemann in that role for a few days. That internal flexibility gives the Yankees time before making a move the organization has clearly been weighing carefully.
What the numbers mean for Volpe’s path back to the Yankees
Volpe’s situation got more complicated in one week. He was sent down because Caballero outplayed him. He arrived at Triple-A and hit .167 in his first five games. Now Caballero may miss time. The player positioned to benefit most from that opening is not Volpe. It is Cabrera.
The Yankees drafted Volpe. They built their plans around him. He will get back to the Bronx. That is not in doubt. What is in doubt is when. One teammate beat him out of the starting lineup earlier this month. Another is outperforming him at Triple-A right now. The MRI on Caballero will set the immediate timeline. What the Yankees decide after that will say more about where they see Volpe in their plans than any statement Boone gives at a pregame presser.
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