The New York Yankees are just a few short hours away from facing the Atlanta Braves.
Before the clash, the organization announced a change regarding George Lombard Jr.
According to the Yankees (via X), Lombard will be batting sixth in the lineup on Saturday.
Yankees Place Lombard Sixth in the Order Against the Braves
GettyGeorge Lombard Jr. of the New York Yankees will be batting sixth on Saturday
Despite Lombard having only made his MLB debut on Aug. 4, he has already been turning heads across the Major Leagues.
Selected 26th overall by New York in the first round of the 2023 draft, the Yankees knew there was something worth tapping into.
He has now appeared in three games, two against the St. Louis Cardinals and one against the Braves on Friday.
Heading into his next clash, he’s slashing .300/.417/.600 with a 1.017 OPS and one home run.
During his time down in the minors this season, he owns a slash line of .284/.411/.498 with a .909 OPS and 12 homers through 78 games. Along the way, he’s recorded 24 doubles, one triple and 33 RBIs.
Heading into New York’s Saturday afternoon matchup, the remaining lineup will look as follows:
Paul Goldschmidt (1B), Heliot Ramos (LF), Ben Rice (DH), Amed Rosario (3B), Trent Grisham (CF), George Lombard Jr. (SS), Spencer Jones (RF), José Caballero (2B) and Austin Wells (C).
Right-hander Gerrit Cole will be starting on the mound.
With Lombard back in the lineup at shortstop, Yankees fans are anticipating another striking performance. He’s set the bar incredibly high for himself, but he doesn’t seem to be losing any momentum.
Where the Yankees Stand During Series Against Braves
GettyManager Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees are in the midst of their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves
Considering Atlanta is in second place in the MLB standings, the Yankees clinching a 3-2 victory on Friday was a significant milestone.
With two more games remaining in this set, New York has an opportunity to sweep the series.
At the time of this writing, the Yankees (65-51) are sixth in the Major Leagues, trailing the Chicago Cubs (68-49), the Los Angeles Dodgers (69-47), the Tampa Bay Rays (69-46), the Braves (70-46) and the Milwaukee Brewers (72-44).
In the American League East, the division is, of course, led by the Rays. New York stands in second, followed by the Boston Red Sox (64-51), the Baltimore Orioles (56-60) and the Toronto Blue Jays (55-62).
As the postseason nears, the Yankees are looking to cement themselves in contention.
According to FanGraphs as of Aug. 8, New York has a 19.4% chance of winning the division and a 98.4% chance of reaching the playoffs. They currently have an 8.8% chance of winning the World Series.
The Yankees have undoubtedly faced an overwhelming number of obstacles, particularly with the IL, but they’ve managed to continue holding spot No. 2 in the AL East standings for quite some time.
Notable names including Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Carlos Rodón and Giancarlo Stanton remain out of commission.
Fortunately, younger guns like Lombard have been stepping up and pulling their own weight at the plate in recent weeks.
New York Yankees Announce George Lombard Jr. Change Before Braves Game