New York Yankees rookie infielder George Lombard Jr. has been in the spotlight since his promotion to the senior lineup. The Yankees shortstop’s defensive effort during the second game of the series against the Minnesota Twins drew backlash from fans.
Twins slugger Royce Lewis hit a ground ball to Lombard Jr. in the bottom of the second inning. The Yankees infielder took his time to collect the ball and his throw to first wasn’t in time, leading to an infield single for Lewis.
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MLB fans reacted to George Lombard Jr.’s mistake against the Twins.
“George Lombard Jr. showboating at SS.”
“Run scores because a rookie shortstop wants to play it cool. Embarrassing.”
“Boone should have pulled him. Make a point with the youngster.”
“That’s called lazy baseball and an E6 in the big leagues. This dude is not an elite defender.”
“Nonchalance by Lombard costs Fried six extra pitches and a run.”
The mistake led to the Twins making it a 2-1 game as Emmanuel Rodriguez hit an RBI single off Yankees ace Max Fried. The top-ranked Yankees prospect’s defense has been a talking point since his promotion and Tuesday’s efforts will add to the criticism.
Yankees rookie George Lombard Jr. reveals Derek Jeter’s advice
Although George Lombard Jr. made the headlines for the wrong reasons on Tuesday, the Yankees infielder had a strong performance at the plate. Lombard went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Yankees’ 8-1 win to clinch the series.
Earlier this week, the rookie infielder recalled meeting Yankees legend Derek Jeter. Lombard revealed the advice he received from the Hall of Famer.
“The big one, and it seems pretty simple and probably one of the most important things, is to be a stand-up dude,” Lombard said Jeter told him. “Whether that’s in the clubhouse or with the media or the fans, whatever it is. Be authentic and be a good person. It goes a long way, doing those little things.
“Whether that’s always being upfront and honest or remembering people’s names. Just being an overall good human being. It keeps you grounded and keeps you humble and it allows you to keep doing the stuff on the field and producing on the field and helping out the team wherever you can, while keeping all the unnecessary distractions away.”
The rookie infielder has shown glimpses of his offensive prowess and the Yankees could use more firepower from their infielders, especially in the postseason.
Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
