Top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. promoted to Double-A after blazing start

George Lombard Jr. was not long for Hudson Valley.

After the top Yankees prospect crushed the competition in 24 games this season at High-A Hudson Valley, Lombard has been promoted to Double-A Somerset, a source confirmed on Sunday.

ESPN first reported the move.

The 19-year-old infielder — who impressed this spring in his first taste of big league camp — got off to a blazing start at Hudson Valley, batting .329 with a .983 OPS and 11 steals.

He drew 23 walks to 22 strikeouts in 111 plate appearances, building off of the 29 games he spent at High-A at the end of last season after spending most of the year at Single-A Tampa.

George Lombard Jr. swings during the Yankees’ spring training game Feb. 22.

A 2023 first-round pick, Lombard has predominantly played shortstop in his minor league career while also getting a taste of third and second — which is how the Yankees used him this spring to get him some experience at multiple positions.

George Lombard Jr. reacts after scoring during the Yankees’ spring training game Feb. 22.

The son of Tigers bench coach and former major leaguer George Lombard, Lombard Jr. has received high praise for his advanced makeup at a young age.

Will Warren did not get much help behind him or from the Yankees lineup on Sunday afternoon.

But he did not help himself either, as he turned in another short start in which his flashes of stuff were overshadowed by ineffectiveness and needing 102 pitches to record 14 outs.

Warren lasted just 4 ²/₃ innings while giving up five runs (three earned) in the 7-5 loss to the Rays on Sunday afternoon, making it four out of seven starts in which he has not been able to complete five innings.

“I feel like the whole day was a little up and down,” said Warren, who has a 5.65 ERA. “They hit the ball where we weren’t and I had three free passes. They were taking advantage of every little thing we gave them.”

Warren allowed seven hits — six singles plus a solo blast by Jonathan Aranda in the third inning — and three walks to put the Yankees in a 5-0 hole.

He did strike out a career-high eight, but it was not enough.

“Kind of got a little bit singled to death,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Still a few too many walks.”

Carlos Carrasco got the call for mop-up duty out of the bullpen Sunday, four days after he threw 66 pitches in a short start against the Orioles.

He had been on turn to start Tuesday against the Padres, but when Clarke Schmidt got scratched from his start on Saturday with side soreness and bumped to Tuesday, that bounced Carrasco from the Padres series and made him available out of the bullpen.

Carlos Carrasco reacts after giving up a home run to the Rays during the Yankees’ loss on May 4.

The veteran right-hander threw the final three innings and gave up two runs.

“With how we’ve had to use the pen a little bit, we needed his length there,” Boone said. “He picked us up. He did a good job on his fourth day giving us three innings and holding the line a little bit.”

Aaron Judge roped a double to the gap in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to 14 games (tying a career high) and on-base streak to 30 games.

Schmidt threw a bullpen session on Sunday, a day after getting scratched from his start with left side soreness.

If he comes out of it without issues, that keeps him on track to make his next start on Tuesday against the Padres.

DJ LeMahieu (calf, hip) went 1-for-3 with a walk while playing seven innings at second base in his sixth game of a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset. … Jonathan Loáisiga (UCL surgery) made a third rehab outing on Sunday with Single-A Tampa, pitching more than three outs for the first time as he tossed 1 ¹/₃ innings on 19 pitches. The right-hander struck out three and gave up one hit and one run.