{"id":43635,"date":"2026-08-14T05:16:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T00:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43635"},"modified":"2026-08-14T05:16:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T00:16:56","slug":"aaron-boone-pinch-hits-for-spencer-jones-against-tough-lefty-despite-promising-early-splits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=43635","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Boone pinch-hits for Spencer Jones against tough lefty despite promising early splits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2Fcrop-40333212_b1bce8.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In the small sample size of 29 plate appearances, Spencer Jones has gone 8-for-25 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and a 1.134 OPS against left-handed pitching.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The lefty slugger will have to prove more to remain in the game when matched up with particularly tough southpaws.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/13\/sports\/yankees-lineup-reverts-to-punchless-ways-in-loss-to-mariners\/\">one-run game in the eighth inning Thursday<\/a>, manager Aaron Boone lifted Jones for righty-hitting Heliot Ramos against Seattle lefty Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, who is one of the game\u2019s best relievers at neutralizing lefty hitters.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons we brought Heliot Ramos in was his presence against [lefties],\u201d Boone said of the trade-deadline pickup, who grounded out and has not started well with the Yankees (2-for-25).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Boone said he did not consider leaving Jones, who <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/13\/sports\/yankees-spencer-jones-swinging-hot-bat-after-returning-to-chill-bird-self\/\">had a strong game Wednesday<\/a> but went 0-for-3 with a strikeout<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/13\/sports\/yankees-lineup-reverts-to-punchless-ways-in-loss-to-mariners\/\"> in Thursday\u2019s 1-0 loss<\/a>, in to face Ferrer. Entering play, Ferrer held fellow lefties to a .553 OPS with zero home runs in 109 plate appearances while righties (.913 OPS with five home runs) have crushed him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>In that way, Boone said Ferrer is \u201cunique\u201d because he has \u201creally struggled with right-handed hitters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This was the type of scenario GM Brian Cashman may have envisioned in acquiring the former Giant, Ramos entering the at-bat hitting .271 with a .795 OPS against southpaws, and became Boone\u2019s choice over Jones and Paul Goldschmidt.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For one August game, it didn\u2019t work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Spencer Jones looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning of the Yankees\u2019 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Aug. 13, 2026 at the Stadium. <span class=\"credit\">Charles Wenzelberg \/ New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Yankees Are Getting Big Returns from Lombard &amp; Jones | Pinstripe Post\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3TKi3bNr11c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>After going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored Wednesday, George Lombard Jr. was moved up to fifth in the lineup and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He had batted from sixth through ninth in his first seven major league games.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Boone downplayed the ascension, chalking it up to his \u201cobsession with trying to create a little balance.\u201d The righty swinger hit between lefties Luis Garc\u00eda Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. for a lineup that alternated handedness from Nos. 4-9.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, Boone needed a righty to bump up and chose Lombard over Jos\u00e9 Caballero and Ali S\u00e1nchez.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>George Lombard Jr. fields a ground ball during the Yankees\u2019 loss to the Mariners. <span class=\"credit\">Robert Sabo for New York Post<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cHis approach has been excellent,\u201d Boone said of Lombard.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, who both had run the bases \u2014 typically a significant step that leads to a rehab assignment \u2014 the past two days, came through fine, Boone said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/13\/sports\/timeline-for-yankees-injured-star-trio-becoming-clearer\/\">Boone declined to reveal the next steps for either<\/a> and said the organization has not yet decided if Stanton \u2014 out since April with a pair of calf strains \u2014 will require a rehab assignment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Yankees pitcher Carlos Rod\u00f3n. <span class=\"credit\">Corey Sipkin for the NY POST<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Carlos Rod\u00f3n was set for a second rehab start Thursday night with Double-A Somerset. The lefty, rehabbing from elbow inflammation, had thrown 48 pitches over 2\u2009\u00b2\/\u2083 innings with Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre in his first.\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>Yerry De los Santos (1\u2009\u00b2\/\u2083 scoreless innings, three strikeouts) has not allowed an earned run in seven of eight appearances this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"product-spotlight product-spotlight-block wp-block-nypost-editor-product-spotlight\">\n<p>\n\t\t\tYankees Merch Shop\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tNew York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p>The Yankees held a ceremony before the game honoring Goldschmidt, who is this season\u2019s club nominee for the Heart and Hustle Award, which \u201cis presented annually to an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the small sample size of 29 plate appearances, Spencer Jones has gone 8-for-25 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and a 1.134 OPS against left-handed pitching.\u00a0 The lefty slugger will have to prove more to remain in the game when matched up with particularly tough southpaws.\u00a0 In a one-run game in the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/crop-40333212_b1bce8.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43635\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}