A day after Aaron Boone confirmed that his shortstop was dealing with a shoulder issue, Anthony Volpe was absent from the Yankees’ lineup against the crucial Boston Red Sox series. This was the second time in the span of seven days that Jose Caballero replaced Volpe. It was a decision Boone indicated he could make more often for the remainder of the season. And with the doubts still mounting around the Yankees’ future shortstop, general manager Brian Cashman has finally stepped in with a clear message.

The Yankees GM acknowledged that Volpe has had a “tough stretch.” Yet, that doesn’t change the fact that the young shortstop is someone the organization can count on. Further, when asked if he still views Volpe as the Yankees’ future shortstop, Cashman confirmed where the clubhouse stands with Volpe. “Yeah. I think he’s a good player. This year notwithstanding, I think he’s got a lot of abilities that are positive.”

Notably, Volpe has been playing through an injury for months. Still, leading the league with 19 errors only screams about the poor season he has been having this year. His slash line this season is .206/.268/.393, along with 29 doubles, four triples, 19 homers, 70 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. Meanwhile, speaking of his 0.6fWAR and one defensive run saved, it is ranked the lowest of his three-year career.

That doesn’t change much in Cashman’s stance on him, though.

“I think he’s a really talented guy. I think he has a chance to be a positive impact on us.” But just a day before Cashman’s remarks, skipper Aaron Boone made a contradicting decision. He had made it clear that moving forward, the shortstop will be decided on a “day-to-day” basis. Before that, Boone had time and again defended Volpe despite his consistent poor show in the field.

Meanwhile, Cashman’s trust in the young shortstop probably stems from his performance last October. Batting .286 with an .815 OPS across 14 postseason games through the World Series, he became a fan favorite.

In fact, he was even dubbed the future Derek Jeter earlier this season. The Yankees naturally expected the same consistent dominance in this season as well. And for now, his dominance at shortstop mainly depends on how fast he recovers from the injury.

Cashman and Co. addressed Anthony Volpe’s injury situation

Finally, the Yankees were able to secure a comeback win against the Red Sox in Friday’s opening game. They secured a 4-1 win, but Volpe’s absence bothered many. Just this Wednesday, he got a cortisone shot for his left shoulder. Apparently, his shoulder has been troubling him since May 3, and fans are blaming the Yanks and Boone for downplaying his injury.

In his shoes, Jose Caballero had started three straight. He’s currently making a strong case for playing more games at shortstop. For the record, the 24-year-old SS will not be starting the remaining games in the Boston series. Still, he would return as a bench option most likely on Saturday.

Per Cashman, Volpe does not need surgery “as of right now.” Although he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of it in the future. But the Yankees are not sure how much the young shortstop’s shoulder injury has contributed to his slump. Cashman labels that as a “gray area.”

Throughout this stint, it will be Boone’s call on how much playing time Volpe will ultimately get. For the time being, the Yankees will wait for him to feel better during the recuperation period.