The Yankees have called up top prospect shortstop George Lombard Jr., son of former outfielder George Lombard Sr., ahead of Tuesday night’s game against the Cardinals, the team revealed Tuesday.
The call-up of Lombard will succeed a series of roster moves that the Yankees undertook following the trade deadline and then their loss to the Cardinals on Monday night. The club optioned shortstop Anthony Volpe, outfielder Jasson Domínguez, and reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A. The moves open up a spot for outfielder Heliot Ramos, who was a trade addition leading up to Monday’s deadline, and clear the decks for Lombard’s call-up. Luis Garcia Jr., acquired from the Nationals in a deadline deal, made his Yankees debut Monday night.
Coming into the current season, CBS Sports ranked Lombard as the No. 26 prospect in all of baseball. Here’s part of that write-up:
“Lombard has bloodlines working in his favor — his father is the Tigers bench coach and his younger brother could be a top pick in the upcoming draft — but don’t mistake him for a nepo baby. He’s a compelling prospect who could provide value across the board. Offensively, he has patience and budding power, the combination of which should cover for an elevated strikeout rate. Though he’s prone to some scattershot throws in the field, there’s no denying his range or his ability to convert on difficult plays that, in a different time, would’ve made him a Web Gems regular. Lombard is also an above-average runner who successfully stole 35 bases on 43 attempts in 2025.”
This season, Lombard as a 21-year-old has thrived across three levels, with a slash line of .284/.411/.498 with 24 doubles and 60 walks in 78 games. He also boasted a .405 OBP in 262 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
The Yankees have struggled to get reliable production from shortstop this season, and while Lombard may wind up as a glove-first talent at the highest level, the hope is that he’ll remain a strong on-base threat and find his way to more power production.
The Yankees will enter play on Tuesday with a record of 63-50. They remain in range of the first-place Rays in the American League East and also have at present a hold on the top wild-card spot in the AL.
