Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. 'comfortable' at third base as Ryan McMahon struggles

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You never know what could happen in the future.” Lombard, The Athletic’s No. 24 overall prospect, will make his third start of the season at third base with Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on the mound for his first rehab start Friday night at Double-A Somerset. Lombard will be playing the position in part in deference to Anthony Volpe, who is rehabbing and starting at shortstop. The Yankees could have started Lombard at second base instead, as he’s played all three positions. The 2023 first-round pick is considered a high-level defender, and the organization believes his glove is major-league-ready. “As far as the defending goes,” Double-A manager James Cooper said, “we thought last year the defense was ready to play in the big leagues. … We just need everything else to catch up to the defense.” Ryan McMahon, the Yankees’ regular third baseman, has been a major disappointment this season. He’s hit .119 (5-for-42) with no home runs, 2 RBIs and a .379 OPS in 17 games. He’s struck out 16 times. On Friday, manager Aaron Boone held McMahon out of the lineup and said that he would be sitting more often in the near future with the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox planning to use left-handed starters against the Yankees. The righty-hitting Amed Rosario is expected to get more playing time at the position. “He’s working on a lot of things behind the scenes that I actually feel like I’m seeing some progress on,” Boone said of McMahon. “We need him and expect him to be a real factor for us, not just defensively, but offensively as well. These next several matchups (will be) a little more difficult.” The Yankees are on the hook for the $32 million McMahon is owed for this year and next year. They acquired him at the trade deadline last year from the Colorado Rockies, and while he was great defensively, he didn’t contribute much at the plate. Some light pregame work here in Somerset from Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr., ahead of Gerrit Cole’s first rehab start tonight. pic.twitter.com/wN1E7NpAs2 — Brendan Kuty 🧟‍♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) April 17, 2026 Meanwhile, Lombard has been on a tear to start the season, and a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the near future shouldn’t be ruled out. Last season, Lombard raked at High-A Hudson Valley to start the year, and the Yankees promoted him to Double A after just 24 games. He entered Friday hitting .414 (17-for-41) with two homers, seven RBIs and a 1.186 OPS in 10 games. On Tuesday night, Lombard doubled off rehabbing Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who was impressed. “He was taking good swings all night,” Wheeler told reporters. “You can tell he’s a good, strong kid. Good bat path. He’s going to be a good player. I hope I don’t have to face him too much.” Lombard has played 203 games at shortstop in his pro career, sprinkling in some at second base (29) and third base (22). He also played two games at third base during big-league spring training this year. Of course, the Yankees could go any number of ways at third base if McMahon doesn’t rebound. They won’t want to rush Lombard, nor will they want to bail early on the promise of McMahon, who has hit at least 20 home runs in every full big-league season since 2019. Cooper said the Yankees believe it’s important for their prospects to play multiple positions. “We just believe that when guys see the field from a different angle,” he said, “just another side of the field, it’s going to help their baseball IQ. It’s going to help them understand certain things about how the game flows. We do like playing him at different positions because we think it could help make him a better defender.” Lombard said, if given the chance, it would be “awesome” to play third base in the majors next to Volpe. “The fact of me being up there would be awesome,” he said. “Trying to help that team win. Obviously, I don’t know what the future holds. There are a million possibilities. I don’t think too far ahead or too far in advance. I just kind of play my game. Whatever happens is going to happen. But I’ll be ready to help that team when my time comes.” Lombard said he sees himself as more than a shortstop, “but (as) an all-around baseball player, and I can get thrown out there in any position and make the plays. Right now, I feel great. I feel comfortable.” The Yankees might need Lombard to be more than a shortstop, and soon. — Chris Kirschner contributed to this report.  Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Brendan Kuty is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the New York Yankees and MLB. He has covered the Yankees since 2014, most recently as a beat reporter for NJ Advance Media. Brendan was honored to receive the 2022 New Jersey Sportswriter of the Year award from the National Sports Media Association. He attended William Paterson University and the County College of Morris, and he is from Hopatcong, N.J.