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Yankees manager Aaron Boone addresses shortstop situation after Rays win
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- Yankees manager Aaron Boone addresses shortstop situation after Rays win
Yankees manager Aaron Boone addresses shortstop situation after Rays win appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The New York Yankees picked up a needed win Monday night amid a 4-11 stretch over their last 15 games, but Aaron Boone did not turn Jose Caballero 's breakout night into a permanent answer at shortstop.
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The Yankees took down the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 in the opener of a four-game series, improving to 50-40 and pulling closer in the AL East race. Caballero drove in four of the Yankees' five runs, homering twice and punishing his former team on a night when New York finished with only three hits.
His first homer changed the game. Caballero broke through in the fifth inning with a go-ahead three-run shot, giving New York the separation it needed after another quiet offensive start. He added a solo shot in the eighth, while Ben Rice later homered to account for the Yankees' only other hit.
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Still, Boone avoided declaring the position settled after the win. The Athletic's Chris Kirschner reported the manager's postgame stance on X, formerly Twitter, as the Yankees continue to weigh Caballero's role alongside Anthony Volpe .
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"Aaron Boone said SS is still a day by day decision."
That answer kept the focus on the bigger picture. The 29-year-old strengthened his case with one of his best games of the season, but Boone's response suggested the Yankees still plan to evaluate the position through matchups, defense, availability, and overall roster balance.
Volpe remains part of that calculation, which makes Caballero's surge more important without making it final. The Yankees have already had to balance playing time between both infielders, and Boone's latest answer showed that the club is still treating shortstop as a daily decision.
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Cam Schlittler also gave the club exactly what it needed. The right-hander worked eight innings, allowed one run, struck out eight, and helped spare a bullpen that needed relief after a difficult stretch.
Boone, however, made clear that one big night did not close the debate. The Yankees' shortstop situation remains fluid, even after Caballero delivered the swings that pushed the team past the Rays.
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