NEW YORK -- George Lombard Jr. descended the steps of the first-base dugout gingerly after the third inning on Saturday, and as the rookie shortstop moved toward the clubhouse with an apparent injury, several Yankees offered gestures of consolation.
By the end of the night, those same teammates were expressing relief. Sent for imaging after exiting a 9-2 victory over the Red Sox early with right knee discomfort, Lombard’s results showed no structural damage, according to manager Aaron Boone.
“Right now, it’s day to day,” Boone said. “They don’t seem too concerned about it, but we’ve got to get the discomfort and the swelling out of there. We’ll see what we have [Sunday] and [Monday]. Hopefully, it stays day to day and he’s back in there soon.”
Lombard, 21, said he is receiving treatment to address inflammation and soreness in the area of his kneecap and patella tendon.
“It’s definitely better than yesterday,” Lombard said before Sunday’s game.
Lombard grimaced after checking his swing on an inside Brayan Bello sinker in the second inning, briefly drawing attention on the field from Boone and head athletic trainer Tim Lentych.
“It was one of those weird freak things,” Lombard said. “It was kind of like a check swing, and then I also tried to get out of the way of the pitch. It kind of just happened. It was a weird play.”
Boone said he believed Lombard’s spikes caught in the dirt as he was attempting to stop his swing. Lombard remained in the game and singled to left field on Bello’s next pitch.
After flying out to end the third inning, Lombard was replaced by José Caballero at shortstop, with Amed Rosario entering the game at third base.
“I was getting a little tight during the game and didn’t want to push it too much,” Lombard said. “It’s good that it’s nothing too serious.”
Lombard underwent imaging at New York-Presbyterian, the team said.
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 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.
Boone said Caballero will play shortstop until Lombard returns. Caballero said it was “great news” that Lombard isn’t expected to miss much time.
“He’s been playing really well,” Caballero said. “We need the whole group together and healthy.”