Jose Caballero back at short in Yankees' Thursday lineup at Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – As the Yankees’ offensive malaise deepened, Aaron Boone acknowledged the uncomfortable rinse-repeat of this 20-game slide.

Managers can shake things up to some extent, but “I’m not going to do extreme, weird things” Boone said of his lineup decisions.

Getting back to “controlling the strike zone better” is one way to do it, and Boone’s club hasn’t drawn a walk since Monday’s fifth inning.

And it doesn’t get any easier Thursday afternoon at Tropicana Field, with the Rays starting right-hander Drew Rasmussen and the Yankees going with a bullpen game.

Lefty and former Tampa Bay pitcher Ryan Yarbrough is likely to be a multi-inning choice for Boone as the Yanks try to salvage a split of this four-game set against the AL East-leading Rays, who own a five-game lead over Boone’s club.

In this series, the Yankees have held Rays’ burgeoning superstar Junior Caminero hitless in 12 at-bats, but the Yanks’ team-wide slump includes Paul Goldschmidt in an 0-for-34 slide, Cody Bellinger at 3-for-36 and Austin Wells at 1-for-24.

Not surprisingly, Goldschmidt is not in today’s lineup. Of note, Jose Caballero is making his third start at shortstop this series, with Anthony Volpe on the bench.

Also, Max Schuemann is starting in left field, with Cody Bellinger getting a rare start at first base today.

Here is today’s Yankee lineup for the 1:10 p.m. game:

1. Trent Grisham, CF
2. Ben Rice, DH
3. Jasson Dominguez, RF
4. Cody Bellinger, 1B
5. Jose Caballero, SS
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
7. Max Schuemann, LF
8. Ryan McMahon, 3B
9. Austin Wells, C

And here is today’s Tampa Bay lineup:

1. Yandy Diaz, DH
2. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Victor Mesa Jr., CF
5. Ryan Vilade, RF
6. Chandler Simpson, LF
7. Ben Williamson, 2B
8. Taylor Walls, SS
9. Nick Fortes, C

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jose Caballero back at short in Yankees’ Thursday lineup at Tampa Bay