Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is getting close to returning from offseason shoulder surgery. But manager Aaron Boone is no longer guaranteeing Volpe the starting shortstop position, with Caballero making a strong case to replace him.

"Cabbie's in there today. Cabbie is playing at a really high level. Obviously, we think very highly of Anthony, too. But those are answers for another day. Bottom line is, Josie has earned a lot of opportunities and has been right in the middle of us winning a lot of games," Boone told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.

Caballero was an everyday shortstop since Volpe recovered from his offseason shoulder surgery. Previously, he was viewed as a bridge player enduring an early slump(5-for-35 to start the season). But over his last 14 games, Caballero was hitting .377 with a 1.023 OPS, 4 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, and 5 SB.

Fresh off a +5 OAA, Caballero has provided the stability the Yankees lacked in defense last season. Plus, he is leading the league in successful ABS challenges with 5 successful overturned decisions.

Last time Volpe played a full season, he hit just .212 with an 83 wRC+ in the regular season. In the postseason, he managed only 5 hits in 26 at-bats for a .192 average. He was tied for the third-most among all shortstops in defensive errors(19) and saw his OAA fall from +14 in 2024 to -7 in 2025.

But during his recent rehab in the minors, Volpe has been getting good results. He began with Double-A Somerset, where he went 4-for-11 (.364) with two stolen bases. And since moving to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he has continued the momentum, slashing .267/.267/.467. The current plan is for Volpe to complete 55 plate appearances in the minors to build back his stamina.

The Yankees have a similar problem with the pitching rotation

The current rotation has been the best in baseball with a collective 2.61 ERA. Cam Schlittler has been the standout with a 1.95 ERA and 41 strikeouts, while Will Warren (2.49 ERA) and Ryan Weathers (3.18 ERA) have solidified the staff alongside Max Fried (2.97 ERA). It left almost no room for returning Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

Cole is nearing a return from TJ and has looked dominant in rehab starts. Meanwhile, Rodon is expected to return around May after recovering from elbow surgery to remove bone chips.

The Yankees optioned Luis Gil to Triple-A on April 27 after he allowed six runs in a start against the Astros, but Gil's departure creates one opening for two returning pitchers. They will soon be forced to make a difficult choice between Warren and Weathers for the final rotation spot when Cole returns.

It is a good problem to have, as it ensures the team has enough depth, but it creates a logjam where Boone has to sacrifice some of the pieces even if he doesn't want to.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason