The New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels in Wednesday’s series finale. Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. missed his fourth straight game with right knee inflammation, but manager Aaron Boone offered real optimism about his return.
Boone Provides Encouraging Update on Lombard’s Timeline
Boone addressed Lombard’s status before Wednesday’s game, and the update pointed toward a return this weekend when the Yankees open a series against the San Diego Padres, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
“I don’t want to put the cart before the horse… but it is trending and looking like that is going to be the case,” Boone said.
Lombard has been progressing steadily, running in the outfield for a third straight day before Wednesday’s game, working through agility drills and taking ground balls. He was available off the bench Wednesday, a step forward from earlier in the week when he wasn’t even an option in that capacity following the knee tweak he suffered at the plate during Saturday’s win over the Boston Red Sox.
Lombard described the injury as manageable, crediting the recovery process for steady day-to-day improvement.
“It’s been progressing every day,” Lombard said. “There was just a little bit of inflammation in there, so it was just random moves [where I could feel it].”
Jose Caballero has started in Lombard’s place for four straight games in the meantime.
Other Notable Updates From Boone and the Yankees
Lombard wasn’t the only injury topic Boone touched on. Aaron Judge ran the bases Wednesday for the first time in his ramp-up. He went from home to first, first to third, and home to second. That work came after his usual pregame throwing and defensive reps in right field. It’s another sign he’s building toward a potential return as soon as next week.
Elsewhere, Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake were both ejected in the bottom of the 10th inning. They were arguing a check-swing call that went against the Yankees. Boone didn’t hold back his frustration afterward.
“Well, if you want to call that a check swing,” Boone said.
On the lineup front, rookie Spencer Jones got the start in center field against left-hander Reid Detmers. Heliot Ramos played right field, with Trent Grisham on the bench. Jones went 0-for-4 in a rare quiet night. He’d entered the game hitting .400 with a 1.161 OPS against left-handed pitching this season. Boone stopped short of committing to Jones as the regular option against lefties going forward. He said decisions will continue to be made day by day.
Meanwhile, Clarke Schmidt made his second rehab outing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He threw 23 pitches across two innings with three strikeouts and one run allowed, continuing his path back from Tommy John surgery.
Final Word for the Yankees
Boone’s update on Lombard is exactly the kind of news New York needed heading into a new series. Between Lombard trending toward a return, Judge continuing to build up, and Schmidt working through his own rehab, the Yankees are steadily getting healthier at a critical point in the schedule.
If Friday goes as expected, New York gets a key piece of its infield back right as the stretch run intensifies.
Yankees Announce George Lombard Jr. Decision Ahead of Padres Series