BALTIMORE – José Caballero was unable to talk his way out of a stint on the 10-day injured list, but his fractured right middle finger won’t cost him his job as the Yankees’ starting shortstop.
Caballero’s strong performance convinced the Yankees to option Anthony Volpe at the conclusion of his Minor League rehab assignment. While Volpe is returning to the big leagues, manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that Caballero should reclaim the position when healthy.
“He’s played as well as anyone out there,” Boone said. “So that would be my expectation.”
Caballero returned to New York on Tuesday for an MRI, which revealed a small fracture near the middle of his finger. Attempting unsuccessfully to fight the IL assignment, Caballero vowed he would return in the minimum amount of time.
“Ten days. That’s the max I’m taking,” Caballero said after the Yankees’ 6-2 victory over the Orioles. As he walked out of the visitors’ clubhouse, Caballero added: “Nine days to go.”
Recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Volpe made it to Camden Yards in time for the first inning on Tuesday, though he did not appear in the game. Volpe is likely to start in Wednesday’s series finale, and Boone said he expects Volpe to play shortstop regularly in Caballero’s absence.
“It took a lot to get back here,” Volpe said. “Now that I’m here, I’m just ready to go.”
Caballero sustained the injury diving back into first base during the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 4-3 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee on Sunday. He was wearing a protective guard on his hand at the time.
“I’m surprised it was a break,” Caballero said. “I definitely had something; I know myself. If it wasn’t anything out there, I wouldn’t have come out of [Sunday’s] game. So there was definitely something there, but I didn’t think it was a fracture.”
The 29-year-old Caballero is slashing .259/.320/.400 with seven doubles, four homers, 13 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 41 games this season. He leads all Major League shortstops with nine defensive runs saved.
“He’s a gamer, man,” Boone said. “He really is. We’ve seen that since he came over last year. [In 2025] he was playing through a finger issue on the other hand that he was able to play through. He’s played through stuff already this season. He’s one of those guys in the room that is really tough.”
Volpe missed most of Spring Training while recovering from left shoulder surgery performed in October.
The 25-year-old Volpe will begin his fourth big league season after being named the Yanks’ Opening Day shortstop in 2023. In 472 Major League games, Volpe has posted a .222/.283/.379 slash line. Last season, he slashed .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs, 72 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 153 games.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge recently said he had a 30- to 40-minute phone conversation with Volpe, encouraging him to take the demotion in stride.
“I know he’s going to be more motivated than ever,” Judge said.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. said Tuesday that he has also spoken to Volpe recently.
“He’s built for this,” Chisholm said. “It’s been tough, being hurt and trying to come back from what he’s going through. But he’s built for this, and we both think he’s going to be great.”
In nine Triple-A games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Volpe was 8-for-39 (.205) with one home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases. Also including a nine-game stint with Double-A Somerset, he was 15-for-68 (.221) with eight RBIs and four steals.
“I feel great,” Volpe said. “The stuff I’m trying to do and I’m working on, it feels healthy. It feels good to have your approach, and you just go and try to execute.”
It’s unclear how the Yankees plan to proceed with Volpe once Caballero is healthy. Boone said the team has “not yet” discussed having Volpe move to other positions.
A 2023 American League Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop, Volpe has appeared in two Minor League games at second base and three at third base, but none since 2021.
“If I’ve learned anything out of all of this, it’s that there’s things I can control and things I can’t,” Volpe said. “We’ve got a game tomorrow, and that’s what I’m focused on.”