New York Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. is working through a difficult stretch at the plate, as his offensive performance has declined since a strong start to his major league career.
Lombard is batting .217 with a .620 OPS this season. His struggles have been particularly pronounced in September, where he is 3-for-27. Since August 28, he is 4-for-34 with 11 strikeouts. A notable exception was an opposite-field grand slam against the Rockies on Wednesday, but it has been one of few offensive highlights in recent weeks.
“It’s a constant game of adjustments. Pitchers are finding ways to get you out and you’re trying to figure out the opposite,” Lombard said. “I probably have missed a couple of my pitches. It’s every single day trying to make those little adjustments and get my swing off as much as possible.”
Following a home run in his August 4 debut, Lombard has found major league pitching challenging. A key issue identified is missing hittable pitches and fouling off too many good opportunities.
“In this league especially, as good as these guys are, when you get a pitch to handle you need to not [just] put a good swing on it — you need to stick it,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That’s probably where he missed here for a few days.”
The Yankees placed Lombard, a top prospect, in a demanding situation, asking for immediate production during a pennant race. Despite the challenges, Lombard views this period as part of his development.
“I look at this no different than the adjustments I made at every other level,” Lombard said. “The main focus is always going to be winning games and playing to win, trying to put the team in a good spot. That’s always a big focus and the adjustments you work on when you can.”
He added, “You get your work in with the hitting coaches, try to make little changes when you can. The main focus is always playing the game hard and winning games.”