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Aaron Boone’s comments on Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony draw attention ahead of Opening Day.

The New York Yankees needed Monday night to feel different. They came home from a 2-7 road trip that included a deflating series loss to the Mets and walked into Yankee Stadium needing a reason to exhale. They found one.

Paul Goldschmidt opened the night with a leadoff homer, Jazz Chisholm Jr. delivered the swing that changed the game in the seventh, and David Bednar survived a tense ninth inning to finish off a 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Bronx had something to celebrate again.

Tucked inside the box score, though, was a quieter performance that may matter beyond one night. Anthony Volpe went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. After the game, manager Aaron Boone addressed what he has been seeing from his shortstop.

Boone Delivers Volpe Assessment

The Yankees recalled Volpe after José Caballero fractured his finger.

It was not a return built on certainty. Volpe had struggled during his brief Triple-A stint before the call came, and the questions that had followed him out of the big leagues had not gone away. The first few games back were uneven.

Then something started to shift.

“He’s had more good at-bats,” Boone said. “For the most part, he’s controlling the strike zone…I feel like it’s been four days of some really good at-bats.”

Volpe got on base in the fourth and came around to score, adding to a night that fit exactly what Boone described. The two stolen bases gave the Yankees another piece of pressure on the bases, and his recent stretch has created a conversation that looked far less likely when he was sent down.

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 18: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees celebrates in the dugout after scoring during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on May 18, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

What Caballero’s Return Could Mean

Jose Caballero has already begun taking ground balls and throwing lightly as he works back from the fractured finger. He is eligible to come off the injured list around May 29, and Boone has acknowledged there is a chance he returns close to that window.

His return will be a welcome one for New York, but it likely spells trouble for Volpe.

Boone has made clear that Caballero earned the shortstop job before the injury. A handful of stronger games from Volpe does not erase that. It does, however, change the tone of the conversation.

If Volpe continues to deliver with the bat, the Yankees at least have to think harder about how the lineup should look.

GettyNew York Yankees IF Jose Caballero.

Final Word for the Yankees

Monday was exactly what New York needed. A win at home, and a handful of performances that gave the roster something to build on after a tough road trip.

Volpe’s night was not the headline. It did not need to be.

What matters is the trend. Better decisions. More discipline at the plate. Enough production to support what Boone has been asking for. Caballero is coming back soon.

For now, Volpe has time to make the decision harder.