Latest Jose Caballero Injury News Leads to Yankees' Anticipated Anthony Volpe Move

The New York Yankees' primary shortstop from the past few seasons is officially headed back to the majors.

Anthony Volpe, New York's No. 1 prospect for 2023 on MLB Pipeline, has been recalled from the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees announced on Tuesday. To make room for the 25-year-old on the active MLB roster, José Caballero is being placed on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger fracture.

News of Caballero's injury started circulating on Monday when reports indicated he hurt his finger after diving back into first base on Sunday. The 29-year-old was not in the Yankees' starting lineup on Monday but was used as a pinch runner and made the last out of the game attempting to steal second base. Caballero was expected to travel back to New York to see a hand specialist on Tuesday, which likely led to the eventual decision to place him on the injured list and call up Volpe.

Anthony Volpe's play will be under a microscope

New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe — Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe continued his rehab assignment with the Somerset Patriots at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater on April 17, 2026. | Alexander Lewis / MyCentralJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into this season, it seemed like the Yankees' initial plan was to use Caballero as their starting shortstop until Volpe fully recovered from his offseason shoulder surgery. But with the way Caballero has played both offensively and defensively to start 2026, New York elected to option Volpe to the minors once he finished his rehab assignment. Now, however, the former top prospect will get another chance to showcase his talents on the big league diamond.

Volpe has been a polarizing figure among many Yankees fans over the past few seasons, with questions surrounding his consistency on both sides of the ball. In 472 career MLB games over the last three years, the young shortstop has a .222 batting average, a .283 on-base percentage, and a .662 OPS, as well as 52 home runs, 192 RBIs, and 70 stolen bases. So far in 2026, he's hitting .221 (15-for-68) with one homer in 18 minor league games.

While it's unclear exactly how long Caballero will be sidelined with his finger fracture, Volpe should now have the opportunity to resume his duties as New York's regular shortstop. But once Caballero is ready to return to action, the Yankees could have a difficult decision to make, depending on how Volpe plays.

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