Anthony Volpe hit a go-ahead two-run single Monday to lift the New York Yankees past the Kansas City Royals 4-3. The clutch ninth-inning performance may signal a turnaround for the shortstop after a difficult 2025 season and a recent minor league demotion.

The Yankees lost the game and the series 2-1 against the Royals, but after a thrilling 4-3 comeback win against the Kansas City Royals, it seems the Yankees have figured out Volpe and Jose Caballero.

Manager Aaron Boone slated both of them in the Monday lineup, with Caballero at 3B and Volpe at SS, and both of them made the most of their chance.

José Caballero drove in Volpe in the second inning, and the Yankees took an early 2-0 lead after Cody Bellinger’s homer. And when the Royals clawed back into the game, Volpe hit a two-out two-run single off Lucas Erceg on a 1-2 count to get back the lead in the top of the ninth.

"It just felt great to contribute and help the team win," Volpe said after the game.

"You do it for this, for the guys. I’m just trying to go out there and compete. Help the team win and have fun. It’s the same game I’ve been playing forever," he added.

It was the first career clutch from Volpe, who sat outside in the earlier two games with Caballero at shortstop.

It was quite the comeback for Volpe, who had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 3 and spent most of his time on the bench since his May 13 return to the MLB.

“No panic there with two strikes,” Boone said. “He gets one elevated and gets enough of it to drive it out to left-center. He’s a gamer. He’s a tough kid and continues to work his tail off and play his tail off.”

So, What Can Be the Strategy With Volpe Going Forward?

The Yankees might have discovered that Volpe responds exceptionally well to direct competition.

After a career-low 2025 season, where his .212 batting average ranked 144th out of 145 qualified hitters, Volpe started the 2026 season on the injured list.

Then, after his minor league rehab stint, he was shockingly sent down to Triple-A largely due to Caballero's emergence. At the time of the demotion, Captain Aaron Judge personally reached out to him and called the demotion 'tough'.

"Anthony's my guy. I know he's going to be more motivated than ever to come back here," Judge said.

That prediction proved prophetic. Since coming back, Volpe has had to fight for every at-bat, but every time, he keeps finding ways back into the story.

Moving forward, the Yankees will have Caballero's versatility in the lineup while deploying Volpe at shortstop on certain occasions. It gives some days off to everyday infielders Ryan McMahon or Jazz Chisholm Jr.

All Volpe has to do is exactly what he did on Monday. Put together quality at-bats at the bottom of the order and play solid defense.

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Written by

Md Saife Fida

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi