BALTIMORE — Jose Caballero played his way into a Yankees lineup that was not supposed to have room for him. He did it so convincingly that the Yankees changed their entire plan for Anthony Volpe just to keep him at shortstop.
Now a right middle finger injury is serious enough to keep him out of Monday’s starting lineup. He is scheduled to fly to New York on Tuesday for an MRI and visits with team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and a hand specialist. The Yankees, already on a four-game skid, could be about to lose another piece.
A dive back into first base in Milwaukee started the problem
The injury happened Sunday in Milwaukee. Caballero dove back into first base in the ninth inning of a tie game while wearing a sliding glove on his right hand. It did not hold up.
He described the glove’s shortcomings plainly.
“Didn’t work,” Caballero said. “It’s just the part that is covering that part of the finger, it’s kind of soft, so it doesn’t really help much.”
The Yankees held him out of Monday’s starting lineup at Camden Yards. He entered as a pinch runner in the ninth inning and was thrown out trying to steal second, ending a 3-2 loss.
Caballero does not think it is a fracture, not worried about the IL
Caballero spoke before Monday’s game and tried to frame the situation as manageable. He was not ready to consider an injured list stint a serious possibility.
“I don’t think it’s a fracture,” Caballero said. “Not worried [about going on the injured list]. I’m just not happy that I have to be out of the lineup today.”
He arrived at Camden Yards with tape on both his left elbow and his right middle finger. The left elbow had already caused a missed start last week after he was hit by a pitch. He needed only one day out of the lineup before playing all three games in Milwaukee over the weekend.
He was not as fortunate Sunday. The dive into first base created a different kind of problem.
Boone sounds more worried than Caballero as MRI looms
Manager Aaron Boone was asked about Caballero after Monday’s game. Boone does not typically project alarm when discussing player injuries. His tone Monday was different.
“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.”
The throwing difficulty was the most significant detail. Max Schuemann started Monday at shortstop. Boone said he would be comfortable with Schuemann and Ryan McMahon covering short-term if Caballero needs only a few days.
The calculus changes if Caballero heads to the injured list. In that case, Boone said Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera would both be candidates for a call-up from Triple-A.
A 1.6 bWAR shortstop who forced the Yankees to alter their plans for Volpe
The reason an MRI on Caballero draws this level of attention is what he has meant to the Yankees through the first month-plus of the season. He carries a 1.6 bWAR, the fifth-highest mark on the entire Yankees roster entering Monday.
That production forced the Yankees into a decision they had not planned to make. When Volpe came off the injured list last week, the original plan was to return him to his shortstop role. Caballero had played so well on both sides of the ball that the Yankees sent Volpe to Triple-A instead rather than remove Caballero from the lineup.
Boone was asked specifically to characterize how important Caballero has been to the Yankees this season.
“[Caballero] has been great,” Boone said. “He’s been such a good performer for us here to start the year, on both sides of the ball. He’s been a key part of our team to this point, but again, hopefully it’s just a day-to-day situation. We’ll have a better idea of that [Tuesday].”
What the Yankees have in reserve: Volpe’s rough week, Cabrera’s hot stretch
If the MRI forces a roster move, the Yankees would choose between two Triple-A options. Volpe has struggled since his demotion last week, going 4-for-24 with a .472 OPS in five games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Boone confirmed he has not spoken to Volpe since informing him of the option last Sunday.
Boone was asked about how a 25-year-old handles that kind of adversity in a contract year.
“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.”
Cabrera is the more compelling option right now. He went 14-for-36 with a 1.032 OPS over his last nine games at Triple-A after a slow start to the season. He also offers more positional flexibility than Volpe.
No decision is needed Tuesday unless the MRI reveals something significant. If Caballero’s own read proves right and it is not a fracture, he may return quickly. If not, the Yankees will be making another roster call while scoring eight total runs in their last four games.
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