What Jose Caballero, Yankees are saying about potential Friday return from IL

NEW YORK — Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero is out of the predicting business after insisting for more than a week that his stay on the injured list would be the minimum 10 days. Sidelined with a fractured right middle finger, Caballero is eligible to return Friday for the start of a showdown series against the Rays. Yes or no, he was asked Thursday. “I can’t really say anything because I haven’t talked to the man,” Caballero said with a smile before the Yankees played the Blue Jays again at Yankee Stadium. After Caballero referred to his manager as “the man,” Aaron Boone was presented the same question during his pre-game media availability. “We’ll get through today, and then we’ll make that call,” Boone said. Boone was more revealing when he was asked what the latest medical reports stated about Caballero’s finger. “They’ve been good, so I expect him to be in play” on Friday, the manager added. Caballero injured his finger sliding into first base on a pickoff throw during a May 10 game in Milwaukee. He was out of the lineup but used a pinch-runner in the Yankees’ next night in Baltimore, then went on the injured list the following day. Caballero unsuccessfully convinced the Yankees to keep him off the IL, then repeatedly insisted he’d be back after 10 days. He says he’s ready to play after resuming throwing earlier this week after a seven-day shutdown. “It’s been getting better every day and (Wednesday) it felt normal,” Caballero said. A super-utility player last season, Caballero thrived early this season starting at shortstop while Anthony Volpe was on the IL rehabbing from an offseason left labrum surgery. He played so well that the Yanks opted to option Volpe to Triple-A when his rehab assignment was over instead of sticking with their plans to make him the starter again. Boone has been saying Caballero deserves to keep the starting job even though Volpe’s first week back with the Yankees was improvement from his 2025, hitting and fielding. “He’s doing great, man,” Caballero said of Volpe before adding, “It definitely means a lot to me (hearing what Boone said). I just want to be in there and I try to help the team as much as I can.” When Caballero returns, the Yankees have to farm out someone. The apparent choices are reserve infielder or Volpe, who went into Thursday batting .250 with three RBI and seven walks in seven games.