Anthony Volpe may have a new challenger waiting in the wings.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said top prospect George Lombard Jr. could be in the mix for a big league look as soon as later this season, a development that could eventually cut into Volpe’s playing time at shortstop.
Cashman put it plainly: George Lombard Jr. "might be a choice at some point" in the second half.
Said he's plug-and-play ready to go defensively and has closed the gap he had coming into the season offensively.
- Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) July 9, 2026
That’s a notable update for a player who was already pushing his way onto the radar. Lombard, the Yankees’ top prospect on MLB Pipeline, recently got back to baseball activities after spraining two fingers on his left hand a few weeks ago.
At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 21-year-old has put together a .231/.381/.385 line in 42 games, with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He’s also swiped eight bases in 11 tries.
For now, a promotion would likely need some help from the roster ahead of him. The most realistic path appears to be an injury to a middle infielder, unless the Yankees decide the defensive side is enough to bring him up sooner.
Even so, Cashman’s comments send a clear message: the organization believes Lombard is close enough on defense to matter right away. And if that’s the case, Volpe has reason to keep his foot on the gas.
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