George Lombard Jr. homers in MLB debut as Yankees start anew at shortstop

NEW YORK — The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders had just returned home from Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday when George Lombard Jr. hopped on his first group phone call of the evening.

Also on the line was Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan, Double-A skipper James Cooper and Yankees coordinator Ryan Hunt. Together, the trio delivered the news that the Bombers had been telegraphing for weeks: Lombard was being promoted to the major leagues.

Lombard, considered the 20th-best prospect by MLB.com, immediately FaceTimed his dad, a former big leaguer and the Tigers’ bench coach; his mom, Judy; and his younger brother, Jacob, who was recently drafted by the Marlins. Calls to his girlfriend and her family followed, and then a giant group call with everyone on it.

“It was always a goal,” Lombard said before drilling a solo homer in his MLB debut on Tuesday, a 2-0 Yankees win over the Cardinals. “I didn’t really have a timeline set in my mind. My main focus was just getting ready for whatever was in front of me that day.

“Things kind of worked themselves out on the field.”

The 21-year-old, now the fifth-youngest Yankee to make his MLB debut, said that his mom, dad, uncle, girlfriend and her parents were among those in attendance on Tuesday, though he was unsure of the full guest list. With the Tigers on the West Coast for series in Sacramento and Seattle, Lombard said his dad actually knew about his promotion before he did. That spoiled the surprise, but allowed George Sr. to get to the Bronx in time for Tuesday’s game.

Members of the Lombard family initially had plans to watch Jacob make his pro debut for the Marlins’ Single-A affiliate in Florida on Tuesday, but he insisted that they go to New York before also homering in his game.

“It’s kind of a cool day for the family,” said Lombard, who grew up in big league clubhouses thanks to his dad. “It’s just a really awesome day for everybody, and I’m still kind of just processing all of it.”

While the former first-round pick will need some time to adjust, his arrival signaled another new start for the second-place Yankees at shortstop.

Just three years ago, they handed the position to another top prospect, Anthony Volpe. That didn’t work out, and Volpe was demoted to Triple-A on Monday night in what was essentially a corresponding move for the Yankees’ next hopeful shortstop of the future.

It’s a gig that comes with a lot of attention, as Volpe and Derek Jeter can attest to, albeit for different reasons. With that in mind, manager Aaron Boone had simple advice for Lombard before his first big league game at Yankee Stadium: “Go be you. Go play your game.”

“He’s been prepared and bred for this,” Boone continued. “It’s one thing to physically check all the boxes and have the ability and be ready to play here, but part of that development is you being able to handle and deal with [the spotlight], and we feel like he’s equipped for all that.

“There’s always the unknown and things you gotta account for and things you gotta gain experience at. But in George’s case, we feel great about the person and the player.”

The Yankees also feel great about the defense Lombard will bring to shortstop.

Metrics say Volpe and José Caballero have played the position well this season, but they’ve lacked the smoothness that Lombard is expected to have. With a stronger arm also at his disposal, the Yankees considered Lombard to be their best defensive shortstop before he even made it to The Show.

Then he started two pretty double plays in his first major league game.

“One of the things you notice over the last few years is each spring you see him becoming more and more physical, more growing into a man, and his athleticism stands out. It’s kind of that soccer background,” Boone said, referring to another sport Lombard excelled at in high school. “You see that the way he moves in the field, but there’s physicality too with power and arm strength and just how he moves.”

Lombard’s defense is certainly ahead of his offense, but he posted strong numbers at Triple-A after the Yankees aggressively promoted him in late-April. In 56 games sandwiched around an IL stint for a couple sprained fingers, he hit .268 with six home runs, 21 RBIs and an .845 OPS.

While expectations should be tempered for Lombard, Volpe and Caballero have a sub-.700 OPS this year. The bar to clear for offensive production is not a high one for Yankees shortstops, which could be why Yankee Stadium found itself in a frenzy after Lombard took Hunter Dobbins deep for his first major league hit in the fifth inning on Tuesday.

With a 100.2-mph, 392-foot blast, Lombard showed off the pop that Boone mentioned pregame while going 1 for 2 with a walk.

“He’s made big strides over the last year in just the hit-ability, He’s got power and strike zone discipline, so I think that’s a great place to start,” Boone said. “We feel like he’s got a chance to be an outstanding all-around player.”

“The more I’ve played and the more experience at different levels I’ve gotten under my belt, the more I’ve learned,” Lombard added, though he has typically needed an adjustment period at the plate each time he was promoted in the minors.

That’s why calling him up now, a day after the trade deadline, always made sense. The intention is for Lombard to be the starting shortstop moving forward. That includes this year’s stretch run and the postseason, so it’s important for Lombard to get his sea legs under him.

As special as Tuesday was for Lombard, it certainly wasn’t lost on him that bigger games await in the near future. In fact, he noted that he’d like to be holding a World Series trophy at the end of this season.

“That’s kind of the mentality throughout the organization,” he said. “We’re going to play every game to win championships, and that’s what it’s all about.”