The New York Yankees will begin a three-game home series against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat in their previous contest.
The Yankees dropped a 2-1 decision to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx. In that game, young shortstop George Lombard Jr. occupied the seventh spot in the batting order and finished 0-for-4 with one strikeout.
Manager Aaron Boone and the coaching staff have settled on their starting lineup for the series opener against Seattle. The order places several familiar names in key positions while adjusting the placement of the club’s newest addition to the roster.
Underdog MLB shared the full group: “Yankees 8/11 T. Grisham CF B. Rice DH H. Ramos LF L. García Jr. 1B J. Chisholm Jr. 2B G. Lombard Jr. SS S. Jones RF R. McMahon 3B A. Wells C R. Weathers SP.”
Trent Grisham will lead off and patrol center field. Ben Rice serves as the designated hitter, followed by Heliot Ramos in left field. Luis García Jr. is set at first base, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. manning second. George Lombard Jr. slots in at shortstop in the sixth position.
Spencer Jones takes right field, Ryan McMahon anchors third base, and Austin Wells handles catching duties. Ryan Weathers draws the starting assignment on the mound.
Lombard Jr. has been shifted up one spot from where he hit on Sunday. The 21-year-old made his major league debut earlier this month and has quickly drawn attention with his early contributions.
In five games so far, the rookie is hitting .294. He has collected five hits, including a pair of home runs, driven in two runs and scored four times. His defensive work at shortstop has also stood out in limited action.
The upcoming series against the Mariners offers Lombard Jr. another chance to build on his early numbers. Seattle arrives with its own mix of established talent and young contributors, setting up what should be a competitive stretch for both clubs.
Yankees fans will be watching closely to see whether the adjusted batting order produces more consistent offensive output after the tight loss to Atlanta. Weathers will need to keep the Mariners’ hitters in check while the New York lineup tries to generate early runs.
Lombard Jr.’s rapid rise from prospect to everyday contributor has been one of the brighter developments for the team in recent weeks. His combination of contact ability and power has given the coaching staff reason to continue giving him significant playing time.
As the series gets underway Tuesday evening, the focus remains on execution at the plate and in the field.
The New York Yankees hope the sixth-place assignment for their rookie shortstop helps spark a stronger offensive performance against a solid Seattle pitching staff.
