WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Yankees spun their daily shortstop roulette wheel Friday and for the first time since Sunday, it came up on José Caballero.
After Anthony Volpe started at shortstop for all three games of the Yankees’ series against the Royals in Kansas City — with Caballero starting one of those games at third base and the other in left field — Caballero returned to short Friday to open a series against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Caballero went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Yankees’ 8-2 win.
That meant a night on the bench for Volpe, and taking ground balls at both shortstop and second base before the game — though it remains unclear in what scenario the Yankees would actually use Volpe at second base.
“They’ve both earned the right to play,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s something that’ll likely sort itself out as we go. The good thing is that both of them I feel like are playing really well. I feel like both will be in the middle of us hopefully winning a lot of games.
“Look, with Caballero’s flexibility, I feel like it can work itself out a little bit. But Cabby hasn’t been out there in a few days, at short anyway, and I feel like he’s earned the right to be out there some too. Bottom line is I have a lot of confidence in both players right now.”
Boone said he makes the decision of who to start at shortstop day by day while taking each series into context.
Against the Royals, the Yankees faced a reverse-split righty and two lefties, so it was more feasible to have both Caballero and Volpe in the same lineup.
In the first two games against the A’s, they were facing more traditional righties in Luis Severino and J.T. Ginn, so Boone wanted more left-handed bats in the lineup, meaning only one of Caballero or Volpe would play.
With a lefty in play for Sunday’s series finale, both could be in the lineup.
“I have not had that conversation with them every day,” Boone said. “I had conversations when they were both active [when Caballero came back from the injured list]. Be as up front as possible, and as I told them, every day is not going to necessarily be fair and it may not be the right decision every day, but it’s one that I have to make. I’m going to try to do what’s best for our team every single day.”
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With Austin Wells continuing to struggle offensively, J.C. Escarra started behind the plate Friday for the fifth time in the past 11 games, catching Carlos Rodón. he went 0-for-4.
“Trying to mix in J.C. a little bit more,” Boone said. “Hoping that an off day and first day [of the series] — because, and I tell Austin this, I expect a lot more of him offensively. We got to try to get him unlocked a little bit. Just felt like today was a good day to have J.C. in there.”
Jasson Domínguez advanced to hitting off the Trajekt pitching machine Thursday as he continued to ramp up his hitting progression from a mild AC joint sprain in his left shoulder.
