The New York Yankees are back home in the Bronx preparing for a massive divisional series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
New York currently owns the second-best record in the American League behind only the Tampa Bay Rays. However, Boston sits just two games behind the Yankees in the standings.
Ahead of Friday’s matchup, one of the biggest storylines surrounding New York has been rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr., who has committed six errors in his last six games.
Yankees Announce Lombard Jr. Change
Manager Aaron Boone isn’t shying away from his rookie, as Lombard Jr. will start at shortstop once again Friday night.
However, Boone has shuffled the batting order slightly. Lombard Jr. will move from the No. 5 spot, where he hit in each of the last three games, down to No. 6.
The move comes as Heliot Ramos and veteran Paul Goldschmidt rejoin the lineup, with both players batting ahead of Lombard Jr. in the order.
Here’s the full Yankees lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Yankees 8/28 P. Goldschmidt 1B B. Rice DH C. Bellinger LF H. Ramos RF T. Grisham CF G. Lombard Jr. SS J. Chisholm Jr. 2B J. Caballero 3B A. Wells C C. Schlittler SP.”
Yankees 8/28
P. Goldschmidt 1B
B. Rice DH
C. Bellinger LF
H. Ramos RF
T. Grisham CF
G. Lombard Jr. SS
J. Chisholm Jr. 2B
J. Caballero 3B
A. Wells CC. Schlittler SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 28, 2026
Lombard Jr.’s Rookie Campaign
After the Yankees called him up Aug. 4 as the organization’s top prospect, Lombard Jr. has played very well for the most part.
He recorded eight defensive runs saved through his first 11 games, which already ranked him among the top five shortstops in the league in that category despite having significantly fewer games played.
At the plate, the 21-year-old enters Friday batting .264 across 72 at-bats in 20 games. He’s recorded 19 hits, two home runs and six RBIs.
New York Yankees Announce George Lombard Jr. Change Before Red Sox Series