NEW YORK — Ryan McMahon’s position in the Yankees’ October plans is becoming harder to define at the moment New York needs its infield settled. A month ago, the veteran’s glove gave Aaron Boone a reason to keep him at third base through an offensive slump. With the postseason approaching, that argument no longer looks nearly as secure.
But on Tuesday, in the fifth inning, McMahon’s mistake raised a pertinent question over his key skill. He fumbled allowing the Rays to steal a base.
The change has been visible in Boone’s lineups. McMahon sat against right-handed starters in three of five recent opportunities, with Jose Caballero taking his place each time.
The Yankees enter Wednesday at 90-67 with five regular-season games remaining. The Yankees are locked into the American League’s No. 4 seed and will host a wild-card series beginning Sept. 29. A possible matchup with Boston’s left-handed pitching adds another complication for an offense already preparing to play its opening postseason round without Aaron Judge.
The immediate concern is not simply whether McMahon can break out before the playoffs. The Yankees must determine whether his bat, glove and limited offensive flexibility warrant a starting assignment, a bench spot or a different roster construction. At 31, with another guaranteed year on his contract, his October role also has implications beyond this season. For the Yankees, roster flexibility now matters nearly as much as individual production, particularly against a potential left-handed October starter.
Boone’s infield trial places McMahon under fresh pressure
Boone said Wednesday during his weekly Talkin’ Yanks appearance that Anthony Volpe would probably get time at third base during the final five games. Rookie George Lombard Jr. will remain at shortstop, while Jazz Chisholm Jr. is expected to resume his regular second-base role after returning Tuesday from a right thumb sprain.
Volpe won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2023 but has adapted to second base since his Sept. 10 recall. He also made three starts at third for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, alongside 19 at second and 15 at short.
Boone had already begun dividing the position between McMahon and Caballero. Before Tuesday’s doubleheader, he explained that the assignments were intended to keep both players involved rather than establish a permanent replacement.
“I want to be playing them both and getting them both regular reps,” Boone said before Tuesday’s first game, “so [it was] more just picking what game I wanted to play Caballero.”
The Yankees have not removed McMahon from their postseason plans or announced a permanent replacement.
McMahon’s power drought weakens his defensive case
McMahon has gone 6-for-42, a .143 average, with one extra-base hit and a .217 on-base percentage in 15 games since returning Sept. 1 from a left thumb sprain. His last home run came Aug. 3. In 43 second-half games, he has hit .196/.272/.277 with one homer and seven extra-base hits across 125 plate appearances.
The season-long numbers offer little relief. Through Tuesday, McMahon carried a .274 on-base percentage with a strikeout rate above 29% over more than 350 plate appearances. His .295 expected weighted on-base average suggests the poor results cannot be explained entirely by batted-ball luck.
The defensive comparison is equally significant. Entering Tuesday, McMahon had minus-1 Defensive Runs Saved and one Out Above Average, compared with 10 DRS and seven OAA in 2025. Caballero stood at zero DRS and minus-1 OAA. Those measures are not interchangeable, but neither shows McMahon providing the large defensive advantage his lineup spot once implied.
A new roster calculation could extend into 2027
There is a less obvious consequence to testing Volpe at third. A credible alternative could allow Boone to retain Caballero as a late-inning pinch-runner rather than use him from the first inning. Caballero entered Tuesday with 32 steals, a skill the Yankees would otherwise lose from their bench whenever he starts at third.
Volpe’s audition still carries risk. He has not played third base in the majors, and three Triple-A starts are a limited test of the reactions and throws required there. Amed Rosario offers another right-handed bat, although his .599 OPS against left-handers and defensive questions complicate that choice. McMahon owns a .518 OPS against left-handed pitching, making the opponent’s starter especially relevant.
The longer-term issue is financial as well as positional. McMahon is under contract for $16 million in 2027 and is scheduled to become a free agent after that season. If the Yankees find a workable arrangement without him at third, they will have a different question to consider when evaluating next year’s roster. There has been no indication that the Yankees have decided to trade or release him.
Five games remain before a decision
The Yankees have two remaining games against Tampa Bay and three against Baltimore to test his infield before the postseason. The Yankees can use those games to evaluate Volpe’s third-base defense, Chisholm’s return from injury and McMahon’s chances of recovering his swing.
The next step is a trial, not a verdict. Whether McMahon retains third base, shifts to a reserve role or faces a more difficult offseason discussion will depend in part on what the Yankees see before their wild-card roster is due.
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