Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. is nearing a return to the New York Yankees' lineup, with manager Aaron Boone expressing optimism for Friday. Lombard has missed four consecutive games due to right knee inflammation but is expected to be back on the field for the Yankees' series opener against the Padres at Petco Park.
"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 Wednesday. Lombard has been actively participating in pregame drills, including agility work and taking ground balls, indicating progress in his recovery.
"It’s been progressing every day," Lombard stated. "There was just a little bit of inflammation in there, so it was just random moves [where I could feel it]." José Caballero has started at shortstop in Lombard's absence.
In other team news, Aaron Judge ran the bases for the first time as part of his rehabilitation program, completing circuits from home to first, first to third, and home to second. This marks a step towards his potential return next week.
Manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake were ejected in the 10th inning of Wednesday's game against the Angels following a dispute over a check swing call. The Yankees ultimately won the series finale 6-3.
Spencer Jones started in center field against a left-handed pitcher, with Heliot Ramos in right field and Trent Grisham on the bench. Boone noted that Jones has earned playing time, particularly against left-handed pitching, where he has performed well, batting .400 with a 1.161 OPS in 40 plate appearances against southpaws. However, Boone indicated that Jones's starting role against lefties is not guaranteed moving forward.
Clarke Schmidt made his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, pitching two innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out three batters. This appearance is part of his recovery from Tommy John surgery as he aims to rejoin the Yankees bullpen.