New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. has certainly been impressive since being called up from Triple-A, and apparently, Aaron Boone is so enamored with the youngster that he is batting him fifth during the Yankees’ game against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
The announced lineup has Trent Grisham leading off in center, followed by Ben Rice at DH, Spencer Jones in left (hitting third again), Luis García Jr. at first, Lombard at shortstop, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, José Caballero in right, Ryan McMahon at third, and Ali Sánchez catching. Max Fried is scheduled to start opposite Seattle’s Logan Gilbert.
The placement is notable given how new Lombard is to the majors. The 21-year-old top prospect (Yankees’ first-round pick in 2023 out of Gulliver Prep) made his MLB debut on Aug. 4 against the Cardinals and immediately made an impression: a home run in his second at-bat plus strong defense that included starting double plays.
In his first half-dozen or so games he has hit around .286 with two homers, a couple of RBIs, and solid on-base numbers, showing the bat speed and glove work that made him untouchable in trade talks.
Even so, moving a player with fewer than 10 big-league games into the heart of the order—behind the more established Rice, Jones, and García and ahead of veterans like Chisholm—stands out.
Recent lineups had him lower (sixth or ninth in the first two games of the Mariners series).
Fans and observers quickly noted the aggressiveness.
One reply to Yankees beat writer Gary Phillips’ post highlighting Jones’ continued third-spot assignment simply read, “Lombard 5th already? Didn’t expect Boone to move him that high this early.”
Manager Aaron Boone has repeatedly praised Lombard’s readiness and the way he has “checked a lot of boxes.” With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and others sidelined, the Yankees have leaned on recent additions and young talent.
Lombard’s early production and defensive reliability appear to have accelerated the timeline. Batting him fifth puts him in more RBI opportunities while still giving him some protection in a lineup that has mixed results overall this season.
Thursday’s 1:35 p.m. ET game wraps the three-game set. The Yankees took the first two, including a 10-5 win Wednesday in which Lombard scored in a key seventh-inning rally.
Whether the elevated spot becomes a longer-term trend will depend on how the young infielder continues to handle major-league pitching, but the early vote of confidence from the coaching staff is clear.
