Hitters at the bottom of the roster typically take at-bats in pregame sim games, essentially serving as pawns against rehabbing pitchers several hours before the start of real games.
So it felt notable that Anthony Volpe (along with Ali Sánchez) stepped into the box against Clarke Schmidt on Saturday afternoon in The Bronx.
Before the game scheduled for Saturday night was postponed by rain, Volpe was set to be out of the lineup for a second straight game.
Presuming a nod in one end of Sunday’s doubleheader, he likely will start in one game of this series; just as he started in one game of the previous series in Washington; just as he started in one game in the series at Tampa Bay that preceded Washington.
There are a pair of Shortstop Watches going on, both with George Lombard Jr. and the Yankees’ trade deadline.
But at the moment, José Caballero is separating himself as the shortstop receiving the bulk of playing time.
Manager Aaron Boone still called it a “day-to-day” situation, but there is no denying that Caballero is winning the battle most of the days.
During Friday’s series-opening loss to the Dodgers, Caballero went 0-for-4 but still contributed a pair of head-turning plays.
He robbed a hit from Kyle Tucker by ranging up the middle, gloving the ball with a lunging stab and finishing the play with a spin and throw.
Later, he made a nice basket catch in shallow center field with his back to home plate to take away a bloop single from Dalton Rushing.
His defense at shortstop has been solid, and his arm is better than Volpe’s.
Neither has hit enough to firmly seize the job, but Caballero (.688 OPS) has been the slightly better option than Volpe (.668).
That’s particularly true of late, with Volpe slashing .222/.276/.222 in his past 10 games — perhaps a reflection of a hitter’s numbers suffering amid sporadic playing time.
“I think both guys have come in with a focus and are ready to play and all hands on deck,” Boone said after Saturday’s game was rained out. “In both cases, I feel like [they] have a very team-first attitude, and that’s the way we need it.”
There are no known plans for Volpe to see time at another position.
Boone cited Caballero’s experience as a utilityman in dictating him switching positions when a need in the outfield or at second or third base arises, leaving Volpe to play shortstop.
Those instances, though, largely have dried up since Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon returned from injury, giving the Yankees more stability and less need of a utility player.
Thus, Caballero’s time elsewhere and Volpe’s time on the field have dipped.
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Such a development is significant considering the Yankees watched Volpe win the everyday shortstop job in spring training 2023 and have rarely challenged him since.
The Derek Jeter-loving New Jerseyan played in 472 of 486 games from 2023-25, a constant presence with a bat that did not develop as hoped.
It is possible that, at some point this season, Lombard becomes the new hope at shortstop.
The 21-year-old, who had begun to conquer Triple-A competition before suffering a pair of finger sprains in mid-June, returned to action Friday and went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
He also had launched a homer in each of his rehab games in the Florida Complex League, so the top prospect may be announcing that his bat is ready.
Boone said “it’s possible” that Lombard can become a factor this season and acknowledged that “we’re having those conversations internally” regarding how much the club will have to see from Lombard before a promotion — which would arrive in the midst of a playoff chase for a team with World Series hopes.
“It’s no secret how highly we think of George,” Boone said of Lombard, who could be used as a trade piece for a difference-maker, though such a blockbuster would be a surprise. “He’s just getting back now from a fairly short IL stint. Had a good game [Friday] night, obviously, and so he’s certainly more and more in his development pushing himself into the conversation.”
