Aaron Boone teases George Lombard Jr.’s role for rest of Yankees’ season

Shortly after the August 3 trade deadline, the New York Yankees announced they are calling up top prospect George Lombard Jr. to the major league roster. On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone opened up a little bit about the type of role Lombard will have for the rest of the 2026 season.

While guest appearing on “Talkin’ Yanks” with Jomboy, Boone claimed that the 21-year-old infielder will step in and play for the team for the remainder of the campaign. Since Lombard is a rookie, Boone does admit there may be a bit of a leash, but overall, the plan is for the club’s No. 1-ranked prospect to get plenty of playing time.

“Yeah, he’s definitely gonna get run,” Boone responded to how much playing time Lombard will get with the Yankees. “Like, I’ll, you know, pick my spots. I’ll probably give him a day here and there, but yeah, George is coming up to play.”

As far as what position he’ll play, that appears to be up in the air. George Lombard Jr. is listed as a shortstop/third baseman. When asked which position Lombard may play, Boone admitted he foresees the incoming rookie playing mainly shortstop.

“We’ll see,” Boone said about Lombard’s position. “My plan right now is mostly shortstop. But we’ll see how it evolves here. Again, we’re trying to get back to the postseason and win. But George has earned the opportunity to be here. [He] earned this. We feel like he’s ready, and he’s gonna get that opportunity, and we want to see him succeed, obviously.”

If Lombard is stepping in to play shortstop, then it sounds like Anthony Volpe’s role with the club could be in jeopardy. That may be music to Yankees fans’ ears, as Volpe has largely struggled, especially on defense.

George Lombard Jr. played 56 games this season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In those contests, he recorded 56 hits, six home runs, 21 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. Through 209 at-bats, he owns a .268 batting average and .405 OBP.

The post Aaron Boone teases George Lombard Jr.’s role for rest of Yankees’ season appeared first on ClutchPoints.