BALTIMORE — Jose Caballero isn't letting a fractured finger slow down his swagger or his confidence. Standing at his locker after the Yankees' 6-2 victory over the Orioles on Tuesday night, the shortstop was dressed in designer sweats, looking like he was about to hit a late-night workout. But instead, he was making a bold promise.
Caballero held up his right hand, bending his middle finger back and forth to show off the compression bandage. He wiggled it as fast as he could, making it clear the injury that landed him on the 10-day injured list is nothing he can't handle. "Ten days, that's the max I'm taking," he vowed. "I feel like I could be back sooner, but we don't want to take a risk. It's early in the season."
The past 24 hours had been a whirlwind for the infielder. After Monday night's game, Caballero drove a rental car 200 miles from Baltimore to New York for an MRI and an exam with a team doctor and a hand specialist. The diagnosis? A fractured finger, suffered when he slid headfirst into first base on a pickoff throw during the ninth inning of last Sunday's game in Milwaukee. It wasn't the news he wanted, but it could have been much worse—no ligament tear, which can sideline a player for up to 10 weeks. "This is my fifth, but I have repeat breaks on some fingers," he admitted.
When asked how many fingers he has left without a fracture, Caballero flashed a big smile. "None. That's surprising!"
The outgoing Panama native tried to convince the Yankees to keep him on the active roster. "I did my best, for sure," he said, but the team's decision was final. Under doctor's orders, he'll be shut down from hitting and throwing for five to seven days. But that doesn't mean he'll be idle. "I can field, so you will see me out there fielding balls, moving my legs and running to keep in shape," Caballero said.
If he's back after 10 days, he'll return just in time for the start of a series at Yankee Stadium a week from Friday—a comeback that could give Anthony Volpe a reprieve and the Yankees a much-needed spark in the infield.