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 largely expressing relief. Sent for imaging after exiting a 9-2 victory over the Red Sox early with right knee discomfort, Lombard’s initial results looked promising, according to manager Aaron Boone.
“I think we’re still waiting to make sure and clarify, but it looks like a day to day situation,” Boone said.
Lombard, 21, 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.
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.
“He felt like it was bugging him a little bit more,” Boone said. “Just seeing him that at-bat and getting down the line, it wasn’t great. So we just felt like we needed to get him out of there.”
Lombard underwent imaging at New York-Presbyterian, the team said. Caballero said the Yankees heard that Lombard’s issue was “not too bad.”
“It’s great news, because he’s been playing really well,” Caballero said. “We need the whole group together and healthy.”
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.
“Hopefully he’s well soon,” Caballero said.