Lombard exits with right knee discomfort after awkward check swing

NEW YORK -- George Lombard Jr. appeared to tweak his right knee during a second-inning at-bat on Saturday, leading to the rookie shortstop’s early exit from the Yankees’ 9-2 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees said Lombard exited the game with right knee discomfort and will undergo imaging Saturday night at New York-Presbyterian.

Lombard grimaced after checking his swing on an inside Brayan Bello sinker, briefly drawing attention on the field from manager Aaron Boone and head athletic trainer Tim Lentych. Lombard remained in the game and singled to left field on Bello’s next pitch.

During the half-inning break, Boone told FOX’s Ken Rosenthal that Lombard was “good enough to stay in,” but the team would be monitoring his situation.

Lombard flied out to end the third inning, then was replaced by José Caballero at shortstop, with Amed Rosario entering the game at third base.

It has been an eventful stretch for Lombard, the Yankees’ top prospect, who was playing in his 23rd Major League game since being promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the Trade Deadline.

Lombard, 21, has batted .253/.310/.367 with a double, a triple, two home runs and six RBIs, but he has also endured an uncharacteristically shaky defensive stretch.

The first game of the series on Friday snapped a string of six consecutive games in which Lombard had committed an error, something not done by a Yankee in more than a century.