George Lombard Jr. has been one of the more impressive stories for the New York Yankees since taking over at shortstop, capped this week by a piece of franchise history and an obvious question about his future alongside Anthony Volpe, who’s set to rejoin the roster.
Lombard didn’t dance around any of it.
Lombard Addresses Volpe’s Return
Asked whether it might be awkward having Volpe back on the roster, Lombard offered a mature response, per SNY.
“We’re all in the baseball world. We know what the baseball world is like – anything can happen. Excited to have him, excited to work together,” Lombard said.
That kind of perspective has become a hallmark of Lombard’s short time in the majors. He’s been a big leaguer for just over a month, a stretch that’s included a six-game error streak and a missed series due to a knee injury, yet he’s handled every bump along the way without letting it rattle him.
Lombard reflected on what he took away from that rough defensive stretch.
“It was good, in a way, for me to get through that. Obviously, wasn’t good for the team because it put us in a bad spot. I learned from it and that’s all you can do. Gain that experience,” Lombard said.
“We’re all in the baseball world. We know what the baseball world is like – anything can happen. Excited to have him, excited to work together”
Lombard’s Breakout Moment Against Colorado
Lombard’s maturity showed up in a big way Wednesday night. With the bases loaded in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies, he turned on a 1-0 slider from Tomoyuki Sugano and drove it into the short porch for his first career grand slam, breaking New York’s odd drought of not having hit a single slam despite entering the game with 194 home runs on the season, fourth-most in the majors.
Lombard put the moment in perspective afterward.
“Grand slam is cool, but it’s a big swing to put us in front and give us a good lead so we can win today,” Lombard said.
At 21 years and 99 days old, Lombard became the second-youngest Yankee ever to hit a grand slam, trailing only Mickey Mantle, who did it twice as a 20-year-old back in 1952.
Final Word for the Yankees
Between his handling of the Volpe situation and his approach to a tough error streak, Lombard has shown a level of composure that belies how new he is to the league. Manager Aaron Boone has noticed the same thing, pointing to Lombard’s steady demeanor through both success and failure as one of his most impressive traits so far.
If Wednesday’s grand slam is any indication, Lombard’s game is starting to match his mindset.
Yankees’ George Lombard Jr. Drops Honest Quote After Rockies Win