José Caballero was back at shortstop on Friday, and he made the most of it. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Yankees’ 8-2 win over the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.
The start mattered because it came after Anthony Volpe handled shortstop in all three games of the Yankees’ series against the Royals in Kansas City. Caballero had been moved around during that trip, starting one game at third base and one in left field, but the Yankees turned back to him at a position that has become a daily call.
Before the game, Volpe took ground balls at both shortstop and second base, a sign of how fluid the infield picture has become. Aaron Boone said both players have earned the right to play, and said the shortstop choice is made day by day while he takes each series into account. He also said he has a lot of confidence in both players right now.
The split has not been random. Boone said he wanted more left-handed bats in the lineup against the right-handers the Yankees faced in the first two games against the Athletics, Luis Severino and J.T. Ginn. That helped explain why Caballero got the nod Friday, even though Volpe had started every game of the previous series.
Boone did not frame the decision as a benching so much as a rotation with no fixed timetable. He said Caballero’s flexibility lets the Yankees move pieces around, and that the shortstop question will likely sort itself out as they go along. He also said he had not been having a conversation with the two infielders every day, but that he wants to be as up front as possible about choices that may not feel fair from one game to the next.
There is still room for both in the same lineup, and Boone pointed to Sunday’s series finale as a possible opening if a lefty is on the mound. For now, Caballero has the latest word at shortstop, and his bat gave the Yankees a clean answer Friday.
The broader picture is that New York is using Caballero and Volpe in a rotating role, with opponent and lineup needs shaping the call almost daily. Boone’s confidence in both players leaves the door open for another switch in the finale, but Friday showed the Yankees are willing to move quickly when the matchup points them in a different direction.
