Yankees top prospect Lombard collects 3 more hits to continue impressive hot streak
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There are hot streaks at the plate, and then there’s whatever George Lombard Jr. is doing right now.
The Yankees’ No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 overall posted three hits on Wednesday, his fourth consecutive game with multiple hits after spending almost a month on the injured list. His big day wasn’t quite enough, however, as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre fell, 5-4, to Syracuse at PNC Field.
Lombard led off the bottom of the first inning with a 101.3 mph liner to left-center field, which he turned into a hustle double. He grabbed a second two-bagger in the sixth, this time a sinking line drive that found the left-field corner.
Lombard’s final knock came on some good fortune. He bounced a soft grounder down the third-base line that stayed fair and rolled too slowly for the defense to make a play. The 21-year-old also walked in the fourth and struck out in the second, giving him a 3-for-4 day overall.
It’s clear the time away due to a pair of sprained fingers on his left hand hasn't impacted Lombard much. He’s now 9-for-17 with a home run and three doubles since returning to the RailRiders last Friday, and that doesn’t even include the long balls he hit in back-to-back rehab games with the Yankees’ Florida Complex League team.
Lombard’s current hitting streak extends to 13 games overall since June 6, carrying an impressive .412/.466/.784 slash line in the span. He’s been absolutely crushing the ball, too, with an average exit velocity of 93.7 mph.
And don’t forget about Lombard’s ability to pick it at shortstop. He earns his highest scouting grade (60) for fielding, and he proved why on Wednesday with an excellent diving grab to end the top of the ninth inning.