NEW YORK – The Yankees gave José Caballero a vote of confidence after Sunday’s 11-3 victory over the Orioles. He will be the everyday shortstop for the foreseeable future because the team reinstated Anthony Volpe from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Before the decision, the Yankees were in a tough situation because Caballero has been one of the team’s hottest hitters. In his past 16 games, Caballero is 19-for-57 (.333) with three homers and five RBIs. The Yankees also love Caballero’s defense. He has +1 outs above average.
Manager Aaron Boone talked about plays Caballero recently made against the Red Sox.
“[Caballero’s defense] has been arguably as good as anyone in the league. That’s what I’m watching,” Boone said. “ … He has been really steady.
“You go back to this road trip, the Boston series, there were four plays in that series that didn’t necessarily have that flash to it, but if you take another look at [them], you say, ‘Another good play.’ He has played really well out there and has been an important part of us winning games here early in the season.”
Volpe has yet to play for the Yankees this season because of the left shoulder surgery he underwent in October. Last year, Volpe had a slash line of .212/.272/.391 with 19 homers. Defensively, he was a disappointment, recording -6 outs above average.