The New York Yankees returned the services of shortstop Jose Caballero in Friday night’s 4-2 loss to the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. The surging Rays now have a 5.5-game lead in the American League East, and the Yankees have struggled to pick up wins over their last 15 games.
@TalkinYanks wrote (following the Friday night loss): “Yankees are 4-10 in their last 14 games, their worst 14-game stretch since July of 2024. Yankees are 5.5 games out of first place in the AL East for the first time since August 23rd of last season.”
Yankees are 5.5 games out of first place in the AL East for the first time since August 23rd of last season
With the loss on Friday night, it highlights (once again) what players the Yankees could afford to get rid of, and the Saturday AM news brought some concerning words to infielder Anthony Volpe.
More MLB on Heavy: New York Yankees Must Consider Trading for White Sox $20 Million Pitcher to Solve David Bednar Issue
Do the Yankees Need Anthony Volpe?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 06: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees runs while being chased by Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Yankee Stadium on May 06, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Manager Aaron Boone sort of made it clear on Friday that he’s not going to be a starter when it was announced that Anthony Volpe will begin taking reps at second base.
FanSided.com’s writer Zachary Rotman, nearly 16 hours after that Volpe news was released, went ahead and name-dropped Anthony Volpe as a player who could be on the hot seat:
“I have no idea what to expect, but what I do know is that the pressure is on Volpe to play well whenever he’s in the lineup. Volpe was only called up initially because the Yankees needed a shortstop with Caballero out. Caballero’s return means the Yankees don’t need Volpe. He played well enough to survive past Caballero’s activation, but a bad series against the Rays could result in a demotion back to the minors.”
A very key sentence from that excerpt: Caballero’s return means the Yankees don’t need Volpe.
The other names Rotman writes about are ones you could probably guess if you’ve followed the Yankees this season: Ryan Yarborough, Ryan McMahon, Austin Wells, and David Bednar. That seems to be the quartet (along with Anthony Volpe) of players that the Yankees must make a decision on here shortly, as they continue to harm the team. Wells did homer on Friday, and David Bednar did have a strong relief outing, but the broader numbers have become unignorable.
More MLB on Heavy: Chicago Cubs Make Massive Decision on Top Prospect Before Astros Game
Anthony Volpe/Jose Caballero Comparison
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 18: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees reacts after scoring during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 18, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
It appears that Aaron Boone and company are going to continue to roll with Jose Caballero at shortstop, but where does this leave Anthony Volpe?
Volpe had been the Yankees’ starting shortstop for the last three seasons, and all of a sudden is being stripped of his position.
However, it’s hard to deny the impact Jose Caballero has had this season.
Jose Caballero is hitting .266 this season with four home runs, 13 RBI, and 37 hits. He also plays excellent defense, which might be why the Yankees want to try Anthony Volpe at second base.
In 30 plate appearances for Volpe, he’s hitting .217 with five hits and an OPS of .704.
It’s such a crossroads position for the Yankees to be in with Anthony Volpe, but New York will have to make an official decision on their 24-year-old infielder sooner or later.
I’ve been saying all along, if the Yankees want to keep Volpe, why not try him out at third base with Ryan McMahon struggling so mightily with the bat?
More MLB on Heavy: Yankees-Rays Betting Preview, Odds, Predictions for Gerrit Cole’s MLB Return on Friday, May 22
New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe Gets Concerning Words After Jose Caballero’s Return