Yankees Announce George Lombard Jr. Decision on Wednesday

The New York Yankees took the first game of their series against the Baltimore Orioles with a 3-1 win on Tuesday night, and manager Aaron Boone has already signaled a small adjustment to the batting order for the next contest.

Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. appeared in his 12th major league game since the club brought him up earlier this month. He went 2-for-4 while hitting seventh in the order during the victory.

Boone plans to drop Lombard Jr. one spot to eighth for Wednesday’s game against Baltimore. The move comes even though the young player contributed two hits in the series opener.

Lombard Jr. has shifted around the lineup in his brief time with the big league club. The latest tweak keeps most of the rest of the order intact from the previous night.

The Yankees released the following lineup for the Wednesday matchup, according to Underdog MLB: “Yankees 8/19 T. Grisham CF B. Rice DH L. García Jr. 1B H. Ramos LF J. Chisholm Jr. 2B S. Jones RF R. McMahon 3B G. Lombard Jr. SS A. Wells C W. Warren SP.”

That places Lombard Jr. behind Ryan McMahon at third base and ahead of catcher Austin Wells. Will Warren is listed as the starting pitcher.

In the short sample of his major league career so far, Lombard Jr. has stood out more for his work with the glove than anything else. He has posted eight defensive runs saved across 11 games, a total that puts him among the top five shortstops in the majors.

At the plate, the 12-game stretch has produced solid numbers as well. Lombard Jr. is hitting .293 with a .463 slugging percentage and an .833 OPS in 41 at-bats. He has collected 12 hits, including two home runs, along with three RBIs and eight runs scored.

The Yankees enter Wednesday’s game with a 70-55 record. That mark ranks second in the American League, trailing only the Tampa Bay Rays.New York sits 5.0 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East standings. The club still has two more games left in the current series against the Orioles before turning its attention to a weekend set at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays claimed two of three games from the Yankees in their most recent meeting last week. Those results left New York looking for a stronger showing in the upcoming rematch.

Boone’s decision to nudge Lombard Jr. down a spot does not appear to signal any larger concerns about the rookie’s role. The shortstop has earned regular playing time since his call-up and continues to provide value on both sides of the ball.

The rest of the lineup remains largely the same, with Trent Grisham leading off in center field and Ben Rice occupying the designated hitter spot. Luis García Jr. is set to start at first base, followed by Heliot Ramos in left and Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second.

Spencer Jones will bat sixth in right field, with McMahon, Lombard Jr. and Wells rounding out the order. The group will look to build on the solid pitching and timely hitting that produced Tuesday’s three-run victory.

As the Yankees push toward the final stretch of the regular season, small lineup tweaks like this one could become more common as Boone searches for the best combinations.

Lombard Jr.’s early contributions have given the manager another reliable option in the middle of the diamond.