George Lombard Jr., the Yankees' top prospect, is nearing a return to minor league rehab games following a stint on the sidelines due to multiple sprained fingers. His recovery puts him on a path toward potentially rejoining the major league team in the Bronx at some point after he proves his health.
Lombard has resumed hitting and participating in field work, positioning him for a minor league rehab assignment around the upcoming All-Star break, according to General Manager Brian Cashman. Once he returns to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his performance could lead to a call-up to the Yankees, depending on the team's shortstop situation, which currently involves José Caballero and Anthony Volpe.
"Looking forward to getting him back and active and he might be a choice at some point," Cashman stated. "More importantly, we just got to get him playing again and turning him loose again in Triple-A. Really talented player that offensively was coming a long way of closing the gap despite his age. Defensively, he’s plug-and-play, ready to go."
The 21-year-old Lombard was promoted from Double-A earlier in the season and had appeared in 42 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before his injury on June 16. During that span, he was batting .231 with an .765 OPS and had recorded eight stolen bases.
Prior to the injury, Lombard had been on an offensive surge, hitting .306 with a .998 OPS over 14 games in June. Cashman noted that Lombard had been "thriving and conquering the final level" and "pushing himself before the injury."