George Lombard Jr. signed a major league contract on Tuesday, and the New York Yankees’ top prospect will make his MLB debut at home against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Yankees also added outfielder Heliot Ramos to the active roster one day after acquiring him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline, and they recalled right-hander Yerry de los Santos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Lombard will start at shortstop and bat eighth in the order against the Cardinals. Ramos will play left field and bat cleanup.
Lombard, 21, was the Yankees’ first-round draft pick in 2023. It was apparent he was on his way to the majors after the Yankees didn’t acquire a shortstop at the deadline, then optioned Anthony Volpe to Triple-A.
Lombard reached Triple-A for the first time this season. In 56 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he batted .268 with six home runs, 16 doubles, 21 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
His father, George Lombard Sr., played for the Atlanta Braves (1998-2000), Detroit Tigers (2002), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003) and Washington Nationals (2006) and is now the Tigers’ bench coach.
The younger Lombard now gets his first crack at one of the most scrutinized positions in sports, shortstop for the Yankees.
“It was always a goal (to be called up),” he said Tuesday. “I didn’t really have like a timeline set in my mind. My main focus was just getting ready for whatever was in front of me that day, that game, wherever I was put. Focus on my preparation, focus on my work and then whatever happened, happened.
“It’s a hard game. You’re gonna struggle. There’ll be ups and downs. Who knows what the future is gonna look like, obviously that’s unpredictable, but the biggest thing is just taking everything day by day and being the same person.”
Volpe, 25, won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2023 and was an everyday player for New York for three years before sharing the role with Jose Caballero this year. He slashed .240/.325/.322 with one homer and 19 RBIs in 56 games in 2026.
As for Ramos, he slots in for the injured Cody Bellinger in left field following the trade. Ramos, 26, was an All-Star in 2024 and was batting .264 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games for the Giants this year.
de los Santos, 28, appeared in five games for New York earlier this season and allowed just one earned run in 8 2/3 innings for a 1.04 ERA. This is his fourth big-league season and second in New York.
To make room for Ramos and de los Santos, the Yankees optioned outfielder Jasson Dominguez and right-handed reliever Angel Chivilli following Monday’s game, a 13-7 loss to St. Louis.
–Field Level Media
