Ryan McMahon's Resurfaced Struggles Could Have Yankees Looking George Lombard Jr.'s Way

A change will be needed if the veteran 3B's struggles don't subside.

After a brief hot streak, Ryan McMahon is back to being a Yankees problem. As a result, it might be time to give George Lombard Jr. the green light. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

It wasn't that long ago when it looked like the Yankees had the old Ryan McMahon back.

After an abysmal start to the 2026 MLB season, McMahon seemingly turned things around towards the end of last month, slashing .326/.354/.522 with two home runs, eight RBIs, two walks and a stolen base in 14 games (46 at-bats) between April 23 and May 7. It was the type of performance that not only boosted the Yankees' confidence at third base but also saved the former All-Star from potentially being replaced.

At least, that appeared to be the case until last week. McMahon's struggles are back on the menu as the 31-year-old 3B now has five hitless outings in his last six games. Even if that isn't a huge sample size, it's enough to show that the Yankees aren't out of the woods, opening the door to promote one of their most promising prospects: George Lombard Jr.

Yankees get closer to George Lombard Jr.'s promotion as Ryan McMahon concerns mount

It's time for the Yankees to consider potential replacements if McMahon's latest performances hint at what's to come. The one-time All-Star has only reached base once in his last six games, picking up a single while striking out seven times along the way. Things could get worse before they get better, which is why giving his spot to Lombard isn't a terrible idea.

The Yankees should seriously consider a George Lombard Jr. call-up now that their Ryan McMahon problem is back. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 26th overall pick of the 2023 draft, Lombard has quickly become not only one of the Yankees' top prospects but one of the brightest up-and-comers in all of baseball. He was the MLB Pipeline's No. 46-ranked prospect before the season began, and has since risen to No. 21 as of Thursday afternoon.

Lombard started the year with Double-A Somerset, slashing .312/.400/.571 with four HRs, 10 RBIs, 12 walks and a .971 OPS before the Yankees moved him up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Miami, FL native hasn't had the smoothest transition to the RailRiders' lineup (six hits without any extra bases and a .146 batting average in 2 games). At the same time, he owns a .407 on-base percentage, which is encouraging, with a season-high four walks coming against Syracuse on Tuesday.

First Triple-A Hit for George Lombard Jr. 👏#RepBX pic.twitter.com/Nr79DMrHlc

— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) May 1, 2026

While he's still finding his offensive groove, Lombard's defensive abilities could give the Yankees more reason to replace McMahon with him. The 20-year-old infielder has a .955 fielding percentage in 75 innings at third base between Double-A and Triple-A this season, as well as a .986 Fld% in 172 innings at shortstop, throwing seven double plays between the two positions.

Meanwhile, McMahon's .947 Fld% at the hot corner is the second-worst mark of his career, only trailing his 2020 effort (.946). He's already committed four errors, giving him a whopping 58 as a 3B since the start of the 2022 season. McMahon's minus-1 outs above average also only ranks 26th among 39 qualified third basemen, per Baseball Savant.

The fact that McMahon commands $16 million this season and next compounds why the Yankees might want to replace the struggling veteran for the young option, even if he's unproven. Lombard's defense would be a massive boon (no pun intended) to manager Aaron Boone's lineup, and his presence will be even more deserved if his bat catches fire again.

The clock is ticking...

Lombard must string together more consistent Triple-A appearances before a promotion happens, though. The last thing the Yankees would want is to put him in a situation that he isn't ready for. Conversely, McMahon's returning struggles could accelerate that process, as New York might want to test what it has in Lombard before considering an external 3B replacement, such as Rafael Devers or Matt Chapman—names whom the basement-dwelling Giants might be willing to trade.

Matt Chapman could be an upgrade over Ryan McMahon at the Yankees' hot corner if the Giants are open to shopping the veteran 3B. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

The 2026 MLB All-Star break is about two months away, which could be the type of evaluation timeline that interests the Yankees. That's plenty of time for McMahon to show what he has (or lacks) while offering Lombard a decent sample size to prove he's big-league ready shortly after he turns 21 years old in June. If neither stands enough by then, general manager Brian Cashman can turn to the trade market.

Beginning with this weekend's Subway Series, three of the Yankees' next four series will be played vs. clubs with losing records (Mets, Blue Jays and Royals). The collection of weaker competition is the perfect time for McMahon to regain his confidence.

If not, don't be surprised if Lombard is in an Uber from Scranton to the Bronx sooner rather than later.