George Lombard Jr. called up by Yankees as Anthony Volpe is sent down

NEW YORK – George Lombard Jr. is being promoted, right into the heat of a pennant race.

Late Monday night, after the St. Louis Cardinals won at Yankee Stadium, 13-7, the Yankees optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple-A and called up their No. 1 prospect.

The right-handed hitting Lombard Jr. is expected to be in the Yanks’ lineup at shortstop on Tuesday night, altering the team’s dynamic down the stretch.

An executive source confirmed Lombard’s impending callup, first reported by the YES Network’s Jack Curry.

Lombard, 21, was clearly untouchable during the just-concluded MLB trade deadline period Monday night, and now he’s asked to solidify a key position on a club with World Series aspirations.

A plus-defender with a strong, accurate arm, Lombard instantly boosts the infield behind a top-notch pitching staff. At the plate, Lombard lifted his OPS to .845 in 56 games at Triple-A, after Sunday’s 4-for-5 performance.

Overall in the minors this year, Lombard is batting .284 with 12 homers, 33 RBI a .909 OPS and 14 stolen bases in 78 games.

Additionally, the Yankees also optioned switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, along with reliever Angel Chivilli.

Lefty-hitting rookie outfielder Spencer Jones has gained traction lately and remains, while Dominguez’s spot is cleared to make room for right-handed hitting outfielder Heliot Ramos, acquired in a trade with San Francisco.

After just-arrived lefty-hitting Luis Garcia Jr.’s two-run homer Monday gave the Yanks a brief 7-6 lead in the seventh, Chivilli gave up three eighth-inning homers – including Alec Burleson‘s third of the game.

Yanks’ starter Cam Schlittler was knocked out after three innings, yielding four runs and five walks, on a night where the Cy Young Award candidate battled command issues.

About 40 minutes after Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline ended, Yankees GM Brian Cashman was non-committal about Lombard’s timeline for a callup – if at all in 2026.

Now, the start of Lombard’s run in pinstripes directly impacts Volpe, the local kid from the Delbarton School who was elevated to the Yanks in 2023 after being a first-round pick.

The son of ex-MLB outfielder and current Detroit Tigers bench coach George Lombard Sr., the younger Lombard, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, was the Yanks’ first round pick in 2023 (26th overall) out of Gulliver Prep in the Miami area.

“I think he’s had an outstanding year,” Yanks manager Aaron Boone said over the weekend, when asked about Lombard. “I think he’s gotten better (and) continues to show a ton of promise.

“Obviously, we love the kid and the makeup,” said Boone of Lombard’s “high-profile” status as the organization’s consensus top-rated player.

“That’s a testament to his work ethic and just his talent,” said Boone. “So, he’s done a really good job and we’ll see where it leads.”

On the fourth of August, that path leads Lombard to shortstop in the Bronx.