Jose Caballero had a great start on Friday night, picking up two hits by the sixth inning. But his bat could not save him from his fielding error. One bad mistake in the eighth inning ruined a great pitching night and handed the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-2 win, and put Caballero’s starting job on the line. Considering what Aaron Boone said after the game, Caballero’s future might be hanging in the balance.

“Yankees’ Jose Caballero makes costly error in first game off injury list as Anthony Volpe sat,” New York Sports Post shared via X.

In his big return, Gerrit Cole had thrown six scoreless innings. The Yankees had a close 1-0 lead. In the eighth inning, Till Hill entered the mound for the Yankees, and the Rays’ Chandler Simpson was at the plate. He chopped a grounder toward short to start the inning. The ball took a hop and slipped off Caballero’s glove.

Result? Simpson reached first base, and the rally started. Junior Caminero entered and hit a single, putting the first two bases loaded. Jonathan Aranda ripped a 106.5 mph double to tie the game. The next man was Yandy Diaz, who was walked, and Richie Palacios entered the plate. He hit the ball at the center, and two more runs got added.

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Ryan Vilade’s sacrifice fly up next made it 4-1 for the Rays.

What could have been a first-base out, Caballero’s error made it a 4-run rally. “It’s a line-drive short hop and kind of skipped on me,” Caballero acknowledged. “But I’ve got to make a play on it. No excuses.”

However, his bad outing was not limited to his defense. He was caught stealing at second base. “It’s a play he’s got to make,” Boone said. “He just didn’t make the play.”

The loss dropped the Yankees a season-high 5.5 games behind the first-place Rays in the AL East. Tampa Bay is now a perfect 4-0 against New York this year. But this gap might be more concerning for Caballero’s job. When Caballero went on the injured list, the Yankees called up Anthony Volpe.

It was thought that Volpe would again be demoted to the minors once Caballero is back, especially after Volpe’s fielding misplays a few days ago. However, in reality, Spencer Jones was demoted, and Volpe is in the mix.

“Both guys are going to play,” Boone said. “It’s a good situation to be in because we have two players that we feel like can play vital roles in us winning games.”

Boone also confirmed that Volpe and Caballero will both be kept for shortstop duties. On the days Volpe is not at shortstop, he will take over second base. “On days Anthony is not playing [shortstop], we’ll have him working a little at second base,” Boone added.

Why might Boone lean toward Volpe? It likely comes down to who the team wants to build around. Volpe is 25 years old and already won a Gold Glove, so the front office views him as the future.

Caballero, on the other hand, is 29. Yes, he has played great early in the season and has stolen plenty of bases. But he cannot be the long-term plan. If Caballero keeps missing routine grounders, Boone and the team would have the perfect excuse to bring Volpe back into the everyday lineup.

However, right now, Boone is in a tight spot. Caballero just cost them a game, but Volpe tied for the American League lead with 19 errors last season. The manager has to choose between two struggling gloves right when the division race is slipping away.

So, for the fans who hoped to see Caballero remain as the Yankees’ stable starting shortstop, that isn’t the case. The Yankees are facing a challenge in the division, and with both shortstops faltering on the field, things remain largely rough. Adding to this, their bullpen is making things worse.

The Yankees’ bullpen is running out of steam

If anything looks the worst for the Yankees, it’s their bullpen. Friday was the best reminder. The Yankees finally got Gerrit Cole back in the mix, and pitching looked just as it was expected. Cole pitched six scoreless innings with two SOs and three walks. However, it took no time for their bullpen to surrender.

Blame it on the misplays. Tim Hill gave up four runs, three earned, without recording an out. Apart from Friday, the bullpen is as dull as it could be. Setup arms, including relievers like Camilo Doval and closer David Bednar, have experienced elevated ERAs and blown saves, struggling to secure tight ballgames. In addition, their pitching injuries are putting more strain on the bullpen.

For instance, Max Fried is placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left elbow bone bruise. He has been shut down from throwing and is awaiting repeat imaging. Clarke Schmidt was placed on the 60-day IL in February to recover from Tommy John surgery. He recently threw bullpen sessions, but is not expected to rejoin the active roster until the second half of the season

While it is rumored that the Yankees are planning to inject young blood from the minors, let’s now hope that it will resolve the bullpen struggle.