NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Volpe's first night back in the majors was one to remember.
Suddenly a fan favorite in New York again, Volpe smacked a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs during his rousing return from Triple-A as the Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 10-3 on Thursday.
The much-maligned Volpe is getting another chance with the Yankees — this time at a new position — and he's off to a terrific start. With the Bronx crowd chanting
his name on several occasions, Volpe had three hits and a stolen base in his first big league game since Aug. 1.
“I wanted to be back up here. I wanted to contribute," Volpe said. "But when you’re down there, there’s obviously no guarantees. So you work really hard for yourself and for the player that you feel like can help the organization. But other than that, there’s nothing guaranteed. You can’t control it. So, I never thought I was going to be back here in this moment, but I want to be ready and prepared in case something happens.”
Something did happen.
Volpe was recalled from the minors Thursday when second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. went on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a sprained right thumb.
“Unexpected whirlwind, but it feels good to be back," Volpe said.
The 25-year-old Volpe, who lost his shortstop job in New York to 21-year-old rookie George Lombard Jr. last month, made his first big league start at second base and looked rejuvenated.
Batting ninth, he received an enthusiastic ovation from the Yankee Stadium crowd of 40,706 his first time up and laced an RBI single in the second inning before stealing third base. Volpe reached on a hard-hit infield single in the sixth and lined his second big league homer this season over the short porch in right field to make it 10-2 in the seventh.
He finished 3 for 4 and saw 21 pitches at the plate — 15 during his first two at-bats.
“Good to see the crowd right away behind him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
After rounding the bases in the seventh, Volpe came out of the dugout for a curtain call to salute fans who were chanting his name again.
“Probably a little bit of blackout," Volpe said. “It will be definitely something I’ll remember for a long time. ... I didn’t really know what was happening.”
New York didn't have a grand slam all season until Lombard connected in 6-1 win Wednesday night. It's the first time in franchise history players 25 or younger hit grand slams in consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The only other regular-season slam for Volpe came in May 2023 against the Athletics. He also had one in the 2024 World Series.
“Excited for him. He hasn’t done anything but just continue to work and grind, and got his way back here and obviously had a massive impact tonight,” Boone said. “Hopefully something that can springboard him even a little bit more.”
A first-round draft pick in 2019 out of a nearby New Jersey high school, the 5-foot-10 Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie shortstop and hit 21 home runs with the Yankees in 2023.
He was expected to hold down the position for years to come, but Volpe entered Thursday with a .224 career batting average, .287 on-base percentage and .660 OPS in four big league seasons. He's also struggled at times on defense, drawing criticism from Yankees fans.
Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 4, with a plan to gain experience at other positions. He played 19 games at second base for the RailRiders and went on a recent tear at the plate.
“He’s been excellent, from all the reports from player development,” Boone said. "The double-play turn’s been excellent. So, not surprised. He’s the type of athlete that should take to that position well and so far, so good.”
In his last 28 games at Triple-A, Volpe batted .284 with 10 homers, 21 RBIs, seven doubles, 15 walks and eight steals. He compiled a 1.023 OPS after getting demoted.
“It’s not an easy thing to go back there and have the right mindset and not only that but go out and perform at a high level, and that’s what he did," Boone said. “It’s a testament to who he is and his character and I think his love and respect for this game.”
Volpe was selected International League Player of the Week for hitting .524 with three homers, six RBIs and five stolen bases over six games from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6. He compiled a 1.674 OPS with five homers over his past eight games for the RailRiders.
“I definitely see a little difference with how he’s spread out," Boone said. “I thought he looked really good, really under control, controlled the strike zone, patient at-bats while also obviously delivering some blows.”
Volpe’s season debut for the Yankees was delayed until May 13 after he recovered from surgery last October to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He is batting .251 with 24 RBIs in 57 games with New York.
Chisholm can become a free agent after the World Series, so Volpe's chance at second base in a September pennant race could offer something of an audition for next season.
“I just feel like I have an opportunity," Volpe said. “Obviously, it’s weird the way it happened. You never want somebody to get hurt or anything, but I had nothing guaranteed, obviously. I thought I was never going to be back up here. So I’m trying to make the most of it.”
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum and AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.
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