Aaron Boone could breathe a little easier Monday when he wrote Anthony Volpe’s name back into the Yankees lineup.
The shortstop missed Sunday’s game with a sore left shoulder after hearing a “pop” on a diving attempt late in Saturday’s game but returned Monday in a 4-3 loss to the Padres with tests and the medical staff clearing him for action.
“I talked to him on the way home [Sunday] night and he said he can do everything,” Boone said before Monday’s game. “Feel like we dodged something there.”
Boone said he expected to monitor Volpe’s shoulder in the coming days as he returned to games, but the durable 24-year-old was “full strength.”
Volpe went 0-for-3 with an RBI sacrifice fly in the loss.
Anthony Volpe (11) strikes out in the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres at Yankee Stadium, Monday, May 5, 2025, in Bronx, NY.Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Before the Yankees promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. to Double-A Somerset on Sunday, they actually debated having him start the year there instead of High-A Hudson Valley.
Instead, the club’s top prospect got off to a red-hot start at High-A to earn the promotion this week to Double-A, where he will become the Eastern League’s youngest player at 19 years old.
Lombard, who impressed many in the organization in his first big league camp this spring, hit .329 with a .983 OPS in 24 games at High-A this season. The 6-foot-2 shortstop has also played some third base and second base.
“Great head on his shoulders,” Boone said. “Loves the game. Great work ethic. Smart, heady player. But then physically — you’ve really seen that evolve now over the two years. You’ve seen him slowly turning into a man and a big, physical presence.”
Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96) throws to first to make the double play as Detroit Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter (30) slides into second during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It is “possible” that DJ LeMahieu (calf strain) could rejoin the Yankees at some point during their West Coast trip that begins Friday against the A’s, Boone said.
The veteran infielder is expected to continue his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was initially expected to play both second and third before returning, but with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out four to six weeks with an oblique strain, the focus has now become second base.
