NEW YORK -- Aaron Boone pulled José Caballero and Anthony Volpe aside for separate conversations on Friday, delivering the same message: both have earned playing time. Now the Yankees must figure out how to make that possible.
Caballero was activated from the 10-day injured list on Friday and started at shortstop as the club began a three-game series with the division-leading Rays. With Volpe out of the lineup, Boone said the Yankees will begin to have him “mixing in” workouts at second base.
“As I’ve told them each, it’s not going to be the perfect situation every day,” Boone said. “You may like or not like a decision on a given day, but at the end of the day, we’re all working for the same thing. We want to win big.
“ … There will be some days where it makes sense, and is fair or not fair. But we’re in this together.”
Asked which player will see the majority of starts at shortstop, Boone replied: “We’ll see. Cabby’s in there today. I’ll make the decision every night.”
Boone said the Yankees wrestled with how to accommodate Caballero’s return from a fractured right middle finger. They ultimately chose to option outfielder Spencer Jones to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre late Thursday, deciding against optioning Volpe or utilityman Max Schuemann.
Jones had four hits in 24 at-bats (.167) after making his Major League debut on May 8, striking out 12 times.
“It was a really tough call,” Boone said. “I feel like it was a good experience for Spencer, even though he didn’t get a ton of results. I feel like he held his own pretty well, and even the last two days, I felt like he was having some good at-bats.”
Back in April, general manager Brian Cashman said it had “always been the plan” for Volpe to return as the starting shortstop once healthy following left shoulder surgery performed in October.
Caballero’s performance changed the equation. He entered Friday slashing .259/.320/.400 with seven doubles, four homers, 13 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
His play in the field has been stellar; Caballero had seven defensive runs saved at shortstop, tied with the Rays’ Taylor Walls for second-most in the Majors entering Friday. The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. is first with eight.
Speaking during batting practice on Friday, Volpe said he was “ready to go.”
“I don’t write the lineup,” he said. “So I’m ready to go put my work in.”
Boone’s calculus is complicated by the fact that Volpe has yet to play a position other than shortstop at the Major League level.
He played two games at second base in the Minors back in 2021, though Boone recalled seeing Volpe at second base in the spring of 2023. Boone said he won’t have Volpe work out at third base.
“He still may end up being all at shortstop,” Boone said. “On the days he’s playing shortstop, I may move Cabby around. But I want him to at least get some work over there and see that side of the field.”
Caballero has extensive experience at multiple positions; last year alone with the Rays and Yankees, Caballero made appearances at shortstop, second base, third base, left field, center field and right field.
Boone suggested that the upcoming series against the Royals in Kansas City could provide an opportunity to shuffle the lineup, mentioning a potential day off for Aaron Judge and a DH day for Cody Bellinger.
“There’s different iterations to get guys on the field,” Boone said.
But ultimately, Boone leaned upon an old Joe Torre favorite from the dynasty years: “These things have a way of working themselves out.”
“It’s a good situation to be in,” Boone said, “because we have two players that we feel like can play vital roles in us winning games.”