The Yankees nation held its breath for Jose Caballero‘s return. He returned after 10 days, but one bad outing in the 8th suddenly kicked off a discussion about his future. The Yankees benched Anthony Volpe to make way for Caballero on Friday, but his fielding error sparked a rally for the Rays. The Yankees eventually lost the game, furthering their gap with the table-toppers.

And 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.

Friday night was going well for the 29-year-old as he picked up 2 hits by the 6th inning. However, the unwanted drama unfolded in the 8th inning with the Yankees leading the game 1-0. 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 had just started. Junior Caminero entered and hit a single, putting the first 2 bases loaded. Jonathan Aranda entered next and ripped a 106.5 mph double. One run scored, and the game was tied. 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.

Ryan Vilade’s sacrifice fly up next makes 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.”

While the loss splurged the Yankees deeper in the tough water, as they are now 4 games behind the division-topper Rays, Boone’s remark about his shortstop choice makes it worse.

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.

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 6 scoreless innings with 2 SOs and three walks. However, it took no time for the Yankees’ 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.