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George Lombard Jr. etched his name in Yankees history during his debut by becoming the first shortstop in franchise history to hit a home run in his major league debut. Yet the 21-year-old rookie has since struggled significantly in the field, committing seven errors across his first 20 games with the team.
Lombard extended his error streak to six consecutive games Thursday during New York’s 5-1 defeat to the Houston Astros. The miscue came in the eighth inning when he mishandled a grounder off the bat of Yainer Diaz, though the error was ultimately charged to third baseman José Caballero for a subsequent wild throw, allowing Christian Walker to score.
The defensive struggles prompted the young shortstop to acknowledge the severity of the situation. “It’s not acceptable. It can’t happen at this level,” Lombard said, noting that errors force pitchers to record additional outs and give opponents opportunities to capitalize.
Lombard’s streak matches a dubious record previously held by Roger Peckinpaugh, who last committed errors in six consecutive games as a Yankees shortstop in 1915. Manager Aaron Boone attributed Thursday’s play to indecisiveness on an in-between ground ball but expressed confidence in his prospect’s fundamental abilities.
Despite the defensive challenges, Lombard has posted a .925 fielding percentage and turned 15 double plays. The Yankees’ shortstop combination has totaled 16 errors this season, continuing a trend from 2024 when Anthony Volpe led American League shortstops with 19 errors.
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