Yankees’ Anthony Volpe getting close to busting out: Aaron Boone

The roller coaster that has been Anthony Volpe at the plate has reached another valley, though manager Aaron Boone believes the uphill climb has begun.

Entering play Friday, Volpe — who has been streaky through his major league career, prone to red-hot streaks and frigid-cold spurts — had gone 6-for-43 (.140) in his past 12 games with 18 strikeouts.

He owned a .908 OPS 12 games into his season, which had fallen to .680.

“You’re a good series away from being back in that [.800 OPS] neighborhood,” the manager said before the Yankees lost, 4-2, to the Blue Jays in The Bronx, during which Boone saw hope from his everyday shortstop.

Volpe finished 1-for-3 with a double, was hit by a pitch, lined to left field and had a well-struck, 102.1-mph fly out to fairly deep center field.

The seventh-inning double that one-hopped the wall in right field (after which Volpe came around to score the then-game-tying run) was the most obvious sign of progress, but Boone was encouraged all day.

“I thought he was really good, and I noticed [his swing during batting practice] being a little bit more where it needs to be,” Boone said.

The Yankees have needed more from Volpe, whom the Rays pounded with fastballs up in the zone, and he entered play having swung and missed at 32.2 percent of the heaters he had seen.

Boone believed Volpe has known how he was being attacked and might have added some “tension” to his swing as he tried to get around on high fastballs.

Anthony Volpe scores a run in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Blue Jays on April 25, 2025. Jason Szenes / New York Post

“It’s like: Just be athletic and quick and fast and let the ball do the work,” Boone said before the game. “Maybe a little muscle-y there through some of the swings.”

Volpe has adopted the same approach he took in last October’s impressive postseason, his swing speed seeing an uptick as he has tried to put more power behind his swings. Through the early going, his pop had improved (with four homers in first 26 games) but his contact rate has fallen.

“But he’s walking more, hitting the ball hard,” Boone said. “Got to get a little more contact, but no reason to think that can’t start to happen again.”

Trent Grisham, who went 0-for-5 from the leadoff spot, tosses his bat after striking out in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays on April 25, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boone gave a new look to his lineup, batting Trent Grisham leadoff, moving Ben Rice to third in the order and bumping Cody Bellinger to fifth.

Grisham, freshly activated off the paternity list, entered playing hitting .320 with a 1.093 OPS before going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Rice went 1-for-5.

Righty Yoendrys Gómez, whom the Yankees designated for assignment Tuesday, was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers.

Aaron Judge (1-for-4 with a walk) extended his on-base streak in 22 games.

DJ LeMahieu is expected to play Saturday and Sunday with Double-A Somerset after going 3-for-5 in his first two games of a rehab assignment.

Boone was not sure how many games or at-bats LeMahieu will need before becoming an option.

“Let’s get through this week and then kind of see what we want to do next,” Boone said of LeMahieu, who is rehabbing a left calf strain.

Jake Cousins threw a bullpen session that was the “fifth or sixth” time throwing off a mound, the righty said.

He estimated he is about two weeks from graduating to live batting practices, and a rehab assignment would follow.

He estimated he could be ready “early- to mid-June” as he recovers from a flexor strain.