Jasson Domínguez returned to the Yankees on Saturday after a productive stretch with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where his bat had been heating up. Even so, he was not the hottest hitter on that roster.
That distinction belonged to Anthony Volpe, who came into Saturday on a remarkable power surge. Over his previous five games, Volpe had launched five home runs while going 12-for-17, good for a .706 average and a staggering 2.527 OPS. He had also gone deep eight times across his last 14 games.
“He became Barry Bonds all of a sudden, hitting a homer every day,” Domínguez said with a grin. “It’s crazy.”
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Since being sent down to Triple-A last month and replaced by George Lombard Jr., Volpe has been moved around the infield, seeing time at shortstop, second base and third base. The Yankees have used that versatility to broaden his defensive profile and potentially improve his path back to the majors if an injury creates an opening.
For now, Volpe has been doing plenty to keep himself in the conversation. After managing just one home run in 56 major league games this season, he has been feasting on Triple-A pitching, including a 1-for-3 night with two walks in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s loss Saturday.
“He’s working his ass off to get better, and you can see it every day, I’m telling you,” said Domínguez, who entered Saturday’s game in the sixth inning in right field and went 0-for-1 with a long flyout to center field. “I feel like the last two weeks, he’s hit a homer every day.”