Jose Caballero's Finger Just Blew Up and the Yankees Are Sweating a Potential IL Trip

Here's the situation: Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero hurt his right middle finger diving back to first base during Sunday's loss to Milwaukee, and now New York is holding its breath waiting on test results. The guy has been a bright spot in the Bronx this season, and losing him to the injured list could be a real problem.

Caballero wasn't in the lineup Monday night when the Yankees opened a three-game series against Baltimore. Manager Aaron Boone didn't mince words about the concern level. "There's definitely some concern," he said before the game. "He's as tough as they come, but he had a little hard time when he went to throw today."

The Testing Starts Tuesday

Caballero is heading to New York on Tuesday to see a hand specialist. He's getting the full workup: tests, possibly an MRI, to figure out if there's a fracture. Until then, the Yankees are in limbo. Max Schuemann took over at short Monday night, but Boone is hoping this stays a day-to-day thing rather than turning into a stint on the injured list.

Why does this matter? Because Caballero has been legitimately excellent to start the season. Through 40 games, he's batting .259 with 4 homers, 13 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. "He's been great," Boone said. "He's been such a good performer for us here to start the year, both sides of the ball. He's been a key part of our team to this point."

Stanton's Rehab Moving Faster Than Expected

There's one piece of good news for the Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton's right calf strain is progressing well. He's been doing inside running and hitting every day, and Boone thinks he could ramp things up this week. Since Stanton will come back as a designated hitter and won't need to play defense right away, his timeline could be quicker than originally expected. "He's coming back to DH, so it's more when he's able to stack a few days of running," Boone explained.

The Yankees brought a three-game losing streak into Baltimore, so they need their core contributors healthy and available. Fingers crossed Caballero gets good news from that hand specialist.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.