Aaron Boone just left door open for Anthony Volpe-Jose Caballero Yankees debate

From the moment New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero headed to the IL with a right middle finger fracture, it was widely understood that Caballero would reclaim his rightful role as New York's starting SS as soon as he returned, which might be as soon as Friday.

Fans weren't at all dissuaded from this Caballero plan when Anthony Volpe was recalled on May 12 to fill in during Cabbie's absence, nor should they have been. Caballero has done more than enough in 2026 to prove that he's a better baseball player than Volpe.

To Volpe's credit, the 25-year-old shortstop has been pretty solid since being recalled. There's been a couple of defensive gaffes, but Volpe's been hittin' a bit. Entering Wednesday, Anthony was 5-for-17 (.294) with seven walks.

It's not like Volpe's won back the starting job, but he may have convinced the Yankees' leadership that he deserves to remain in the bigs once Cabbie returns, perhaps as a utilityman.

And Yankees manager Aaron Boone hasn't exactly ruled out that possibility with his recent comments. Responding to a specific question about whether Volpe will remain on the MLB roster once Caballero gets back, Boone said, "We'll see."

Aaron Boone hasn't committed in either direction on next move for Anthony Volpe

Caballero remains the starting shortstop until proven otherwise. He's hitting .259/.320/.400 with 13 stolen bases this season, and he provides superior defense and energy to Volpe. If that kind of production holds more or less steady, Cabbie doesn't have anything to worry about in the form of a shortstop competition.

But Volpe's not-awful start to 2026 has some fans quietly wondering ... if Caballero, say, entered a terrible slump at any point this season, would Boone feel tempted to give Volpe another extended opportunity as the starter, especially since Caballero better profiles as a super-utility option? We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it.

For now, the main question for Volpe is whether or not he'll remain on the roster past this weekend. Most Yankees fans have to be feeling in their gut that the answer is "yes", mostly due to the history of this Yankees regime favoring Volpe and giving him every chance possible, and then some.

While it's been refreshing to see Boone reward Caballero for playing superior baseball, the Caballero-Volpe saga may not be over quite yet. Cabbie will have to continue performing to keep Volpe at bay.

Volpe has other potential paths to a Yankees role beyond usurping Caballero

Even if Caballero continues to assert himself at shortstop, Volpe might find himself in the lineup if either of Ryan McMahon or Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffer an injury ... provided Boone is willing to experiment with Volpe at other infield positions.

It's something to keep in mind. ESPN's Buster Olney suggested recently that Volpe should turn into a utilityman for the Yankees in the style of pre-2026 Caballero, so it's at least been more widely discussed.

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