HOUSTON — Entering Friday, only one player in the big leagues had lost more automated ball-strike system challenges than José Caballero, but none had won more than the Yankees shortstop.
Taking into account the situations in which Caballero has challenged and been unsuccessful — not necessarily the highest-leverage spots — some have looked worse than others on the way to being 5-for-10.
And while Aaron Boone said it is “possible” that he could get to a point where he would tell a player to stop challenging, the Yankees manager is not yet at that stage with anyone just a month into the ABS era.
That said, Boone has had conversations with Caballero about some of his challenges.
“Firm,” Boone said with a grin of the nature of those conversations. “Quite firm.”
It would not be surprising if Boone had a similar conversation with Jazz Chisholm Jr. after Friday’s 12-4 win over the Astros, following his horrific challenge on a 3-2 pitch in the ninth inning that was not close to being a ball.
“You just gotta laugh, at that point,” Chisholm said. “We were winning, it’s a kid’s game. You got to laugh at some things. Sometimes you just got to laugh at yourself and walk off. Did get fined a thousand dollars, but it’s OK.”
Chisholm, who is 1-for-6 in challenges, indicated it was his second fine of the season.
“I put that as myself fining myself,” he said. “I got to do something for the team worth at least $1,000 after that.”
Coming into Friday’s series opener, Caballero was tied for the major league lead with five successful challenges. But his five unsuccessful challenges were tied for the second most, trailing only Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., who had six.
Meanwhile, Caballero could be in his last week as the Yankees’ starting shortstop as Anthony Volpe is nearing a return from the injured list — perhaps as soon as the beginning of the homestand next Friday.
Boone said he was “not necessarily anticipating” Volpe returning on the last stop of this road trip against the Rangers in a series that runs Monday through Wednesday.
Carlos Rodón began his rehab assignment Friday night at High-A Hudson Valley, throwing 65 pitches across 4 ¹/₃ scoreless innings.
The left-hander, who struck out four and allowed just one hit and one walk, is expected to need at least two more rehab starts before he might be ready to return to the Yankees rotation.
Rodón is expected to come back before Gerrit Cole, who threw 52 pitches in his second rehab start Thursday night.
“I thought [Cole] looked really good,” Boone said. “Another good step for him. I didn’t hear how he’s doing yet [Friday], I’m assuming everything was fine, but I thought he looked good. … Overall, his fastball’s in a pretty good place, both four-seam and two-seam.”
Fernando Cruz and Ryan Yarbrough both pitched Friday for the first time in over a week.
Cruz gave up a pair of solo home runs in the seventh inning before Yarbrough closed out the game with a pair of scoreless frames.
Ryan Weathers is expected to return from the paternity list to start Saturday’s game.
