Desperate Yankees shake up ALDS Game 3 lineup with season on the line

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Desperate Yankees shake up ALDS Game 3 lineup with season on the line

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Yankees infielder José Caballero reacts in the dugout in the ninth inning during Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees 5-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the ALDS, Image 2 shows Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) is on the dugout fence before the start of the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, October 5, 2026

Greg Joyce · NY Post Sports

Wed, Oct 7, 2026 ·

2 min read

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José Caballero is starting at third base over Ryan McMahon and Anthony Volpe is starting at second base over Jazz Chisholm Jr. as the Yankees try to stave off elimination against Rays right-hander Nick Martinez. Luis Garcia Jr. remains at first base.

Trent Grisham is leading off and Austin Wells is batting sixth.

McMahon has not brought much offensively and then committed a fielding error on the first ball put in play in the bottom of the first inning on Saturday night at Tropicana Field, the first of four the Yankees would make in Game 2.

This marks Caballero's first start of the postseason, making it against his former team with the hope that his speed and general peskiness can provide a spark while his glove should be just as strong at third base behind Max Fried.

Yankees infielder José Caballero reacts in the dugout in the ninth inning during Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post

Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe (11) is on the dugout fence before the start of the first inning of Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Monday, October 5, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg for New York Post

Chisholm also committed an error in that calamitous first inning, making a wild, ill-advised throw to first base while trying to turn a double play, along with a high throw to second base on another play that wiped out a chance of a double play.

Volpe had started over Chisholm in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against lefty Payton Tolle, which Chisholm had said beforehand would upset him, though he later played it off after they won the series.

García crushed a home run as part of a three-hit effort in Game 2 of the wild-card series, but otherwise has looked off at the plate for much of the last month.