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Yankees Position Ryan McMahon as Backup Shortstop to Boost Bench Flexibility

Boone’s public vote of confidence signals a contingency plan that prioritizes lineup flexibility over infield certainty.

Overview

  • Aaron Boone said he is comfortable starting Ryan McMahon at shortstop, and McMahon’s fourth spring start there “looked fine,” per the New York Post.
  • José Caballero is expected to open at shortstop with Anthony Volpe set to miss the start of the season following offseason surgery.
  • McMahon has never started an MLB game at shortstop and logged only three big‑league innings there in 2020, with mixed spring results that included early errors.
  • Using McMahon as the emergency option at shortstop gives the Yankees latitude to carry more bats, with reporting citing Randal Grichuk as a roster driver.
  • The plan influences bench and hot‑corner depth, with Oswaldo Cabrera viewed as a third‑base fallback and outside projections suggesting Max Schuemann could be squeezed off the Opening Day roster.