George Lombard Jr.'s Promotion Has Yankees Vet's Days Numbered

One veteran on New York's roster is likely looking over his shoulder right about now.

New York Yankees infielder George Lombard Jr (96) hits a two-RBI double during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The 2026 MLB season is still relatively young, but that hasn't stopped the New York Yankees from showing some early urgency this week. On top of designating struggling veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk for assignment, the Yankees also revealed this week that they're promoting top prospect George Lombard Jr. from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankees No. 1 Prospect @georgelombardjr gets the news that he's been promoted to Triple-A @swbrailriders 🙌 pic.twitter.com/1vfJrKmVGt

— NYYPlayerDev (@NYYPlayerDev) April 29, 2026

MLB Pipeline's No. 27 prospect at the time of writing, Lombard is someone whom Yankees fans have been dying to see in the big leagues ever since he was drafted 26th overall in 2023. His Triple-A promotion certainly brings him one step closer to entering manager Aaron Boone's lineup, and it certainly sounds like the club wouldn't mind that happening sooner rather than later, according to YES Network's Jack Curry.

"The Yankees have believed Lombard, Jr is ready for the majors from a defensive standpoint," Curry reported on Tuesday night. "He’s that smooth on the left side of the infield. Now they will monitor how he progresses with the bat at AAA."

Even star Yankees slugger Aaron Judge couldn't help but share his confidence in Lombard following the promising prospect's promotion, in comments via The Athletic's Chris Kirschner.

He's seeing the consistency at the plate, just good at-bats at such a young age. I couldn't imagine being his age in spring training with the New York Yankees. The composure he has, he's built for New York. So excited for him to get to Triple A and hopefully continue that success he had in Double A.

Aaron Judge, via Chris Kirschner

With the Yankees loving his potential and Judge singing his praises, Lombard seems likely to join the club soon. Room must be made to get him in the lineup, though, which is likely bad news for veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon.

George Lombard Jr.'s ascension is bad news for Ryan McMahon's Yankees future

New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) fields the ball off his face during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

When it comes to defensive positioning, Lombard has only played shortstop (106 innings) and third base (48 innings) this season. Despite the talent he oozes, the 20-year-old prospect won't be taking over starting shortstop José Caballero's job (or Anthony Volpe's, when the time comes), meaning leapfrogging McMahon on the 3B depth chart will be the best path to take.

Yankees fans are well aware of McMahon's disappointing performance at the plate this season. His former All-Star days appear fully in the rearview mirror as he's slashed .174/.278/.261 with two home runs, seven RBIs, 10 walks and a 32.9% strikeout rate—the second-worst effort of his career—in 28 games (79 plate appearances). His WAR is negative (-0.3) for the first time since his rookie year (minus-0.1 in 2017), further illustrating his fall from grace.

McMahon's defense at the hot corner—which he's usually positively known for—has also left much to be desired. He already has three errors in 179 innings at third base (four in 441 innings with the Yankees last season), which includes two blunders in his last three games before Wednesday's finale against the Texas Rangers.

Ryan McMahon gets an error pic.twitter.com/cRwI0V0gAV

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 26, 2026

Lombard isn't perfect, but he has more promise than McMahon

Lombard's defense has been outstanding: he's registered only one error at third base with Somerset this season. He also boasts a flawless fielding percentage during his time at shortstop, offering the Yankees a potential insurance plan should Caballero regress or if Anthony Volpe is rusty after returning from his lengthy absence.

New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) celebrates a home run in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox with teammate Ben Rice (22) at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Lombard's bat has been far from a concern this season (.312/.400/.571 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and 12 walks in 90 PAs), and it's exciting imagining what impact that could make in the Yankees' lineup. That addition must wait for now, though, as the Yankees still need to see how his bat progresses against Triple-A pitching. Overlooking any shortcomings won't benefit him or the club in the long run.

As for McMahon, he's signed through 2027 with a $16 million payroll hit per season, according to Spotrac. That's somewhat expensive for a bench bat (assuming that Lombard becomes the starter), meaning general manager Brian Cashman could consider shopping McMahon before the trade deadline. Then again, that might be easier said than done, given that any curious teams will likely need to hear a strong sales pitch to believe that a bounce back is possible.

That's all hypothetical at the moment, and a lot has to happen before the Yankees consider moving McMahon, whether that's out of the starting lineup or off the team's payroll entirely. Part of that would include Lombard capitalizing on every opportunity he gets in the coming days and weeks, showing the front office that he's ready to put any defensive concerns behind him.

If that happens, well, McMahon will have a lot to worry about, possibly lighting a fire under him to turn things around in the meantime, now that his replacement is one step closer.