BALTIMORE, May 12, 2026, 16:16 (EDT)
Anthony Volpe is heading back to the New York Yankees from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, filling in at shortstop after José Caballero went down with a right middle finger injury. The move comes ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. A source told MLB.com Volpe had been recalled, although the Yankees haven’t made anything official yet.
This comes just after New York decided to stick with Caballero at shortstop following Volpe’s return from his October shoulder surgery rehab. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, citing ABC7 New York, said the Yankees will shift Caballero to the 10-day injured list—a move that sidelines him for at least 10 days—to make space for Volpe.
This doesn’t feel like a soft landing. The Yankees, now 26-16 and trailing the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays by two games, have dropped their last four. Their run differential, plus-72, is still tops in the American League. Baltimore comes in next—Tuesday’s matchup features the division’s third-place team, winners of two straight.
Caballero jammed his finger diving back into first during Sunday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and wasn’t in the lineup Monday, according to the Associated Press. Manager Aaron Boone, speaking before the game, admitted, “There’s definitely some concern,” noting Caballero was struggling to throw. The Washington Post
Caballero told MLB.com he’d gotten treatment and was on his way for an MRI. “I don’t think it’s fractured,” he said. Boone noted that throwing seemed to be more of a problem than hitting, but the team still planned for a New York hand specialist to take a look. Mlb
The injury puts the spotlight back on an issue the Yankees thought they’d addressed. Following Volpe’s demotion, general manager Brian Cashman told CBS Sports that “Caballero has emerged with his play” and the team “had to honor that.” CBS Sports
Caballero didn’t make it easy, posting a .259/.320/.400 slash line, swiping 13 bags, and showing well with the glove. Volpe, on the other hand, had just 15 hits in 68 minor-league at-bats this season after coming back from shoulder surgery.
Volpe’s window to win back his spot just cracked open again—a reversal from what looked likely last week. When his rehab stint ended, the Yankees sent him down, with MLB Trade Rumors pointing out that Caballero’s steady contributions convinced the team to stick with him a bit longer.
This is a gamble for New York. If Caballero’s injury lingers and Volpe’s offense doesn’t pick up, the Yankees could find themselves thin at short during a stretch with Tampa Bay moving ahead in the division. Sending Volpe back down is on the table too — something that, as MLB Trade Rumors pointed out, could impact his service time, but that only comes into play if he can’t hold the job.
