George Lombard Jr. was the story of the night for the Yankees, and he made sure nobody in the ballpark forgot it.
After Spencer Jones worked a two-out walk to load the bases, Lombard stepped in and launched an opposite-field grand slam - the first home run of that kind in his career and the Yankees’ first grand slam of the season. The performance only added to the growing buzz around the young infielder.
Jones also did his part. He drew two walks, showed patience at the plate and kept adding to a night that featured another encouraging showing from a young player who looks ready for the moment.
Will Warren delivered on the mound, too, giving the Yankees six strong innings while allowing one run and striking out eight. It was exactly the kind of outing the team needed.
Then came the roster news that turned the evening in another direction.
Anthony Volpe is set to return to the major league roster Thursday, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. dealing with a thumb sprain. The move raises the question of whether the Yankees are about to push Volpe into a second-base role.
José Caballero is already on the roster and can handle second base, which makes the situation even harder to understand from the outside.
The frustration here is simple: Volpe had his chance, and it lasted a long time. The Yankees eventually sent him to Triple-A, Lombard moved in at shortstop, and the kid has brought a level of energy and excitement that’s hard to ignore.
At some point, the debate stops being about proving a point and starts being about putting the best team on the field.
Lombard is giving the Yankees something special. They should be careful not to get in the way of it.
In Other News...
Yankees Suddenly Face An Infield Decision They Didn't Expect
Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Yankees a jolt in the middle of a game against the Rockies when he injured his thumb sliding into second base and had to leave after dealing with numbness. For a club that has already spent plenty of time sorting out its infield mix, the timing makes this more than a minor scare, especially with Aaron Boone saying the team will keep monitoring Chisholm and see whether more testing becomes necessary if the symptoms worsen.
The immediate concern is less about one awkward slide than what it could mean for the alignment around the rest of the roster. If Chisholm needs any time at all, the Yankees may have to adjust on the fly, and Anthony Volpe is among the names that could factor into those decisions as Boone and the front office try to protect the infield without losing too much flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Have A Gerrit Cole Concern They Can't Ignore In October
Gerrit Cole is back on the mound for the Yankees after Tommy John surgery, and the early signs have been encouraging enough to keep him squarely in the October conversation. His fastball velocity has held up close to where it was before the injury, which is the kind of baseline the Yankees needed to see as they assess what he can still give them in the stretch run and beyond.
The larger question is whether the stuff behind that fastball will play the same way when the games get tighter and the lineups get deeper. Some of the underlying numbers point to trouble, with harder contact showing up and the breaking pitches not landing with the same bite, which leaves New York with a familiar postseason dilemma: the name on the back of the jersey still carries weight, but the margin for error may not be as wide as it once was. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Needed Their Supporting Cast As Aaron Judge's Return Took A Turn
Aaron Judges return after 100 days back in the Yankees lineup came with the kind of reminder this club has been living with for weeks: the star can steady the room, but he does not have to carry every night. Judge went hitless in his first game back, yet the Yankees still left with a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies, getting the sort of help that has often been necessary when the offense needs a lift.
Cody Bellinger helped set the tone by scoring the first run and adding a double in the eighth inning, while Heliot Ramos delivered the biggest swing with a three-run home run. Aaron Boone also pulled Judge after six innings to keep him protected as he continues ramping up for the postseason, a small but telling sign that the Yankees are trying to balance the return of their centerpiece with the broader need to keep everyone else engaged and ready. [Read more 🡒]