Anthony Volpe delivered a storybook return to the majors, hitting a grand slam and driving in a career-high five runs as the New York Yankees defeated the Colorado Rockies 10-3 on Thursday. Recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. landed on the injured list with a sprained right thumb, Volpe started at second base and batted ninth. He finished 3-for-4 with three hits, a stolen base, and the decisive grand slam over the right-field porch in the seventh inning. The Yankee Stadium crowd of 40,706 gave Volpe multiple ovations and chanted his name, prompting a curtain call. "Unexpected whirlwind, but it feels good to be back," Volpe said.

The 25-year-old had lost his shortstop job to rookie George Lombard Jr. last month and was optioned on Aug. 4 to work on position versatility. In 28 games at Triple-A, he batted .284 with 10 homers, 21 RBIs, and a 1.023 OPS. Manager Aaron Boone praised Volpe's work ethic and defensive transition, noting his excellent double-play turns. Volpe's slam followed Lombard's grand slam Wednesday, marking the first time in franchise history players 25 or younger hit grand slams in consecutive games, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

A 2019 first-round pick from New Jersey, Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023 but entered Thursday with a career .224 average and .660 OPS. Boone hopes the performance springboards Volpe moving forward.