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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff WriterSep 9, 2024, 07:24 PM ET
- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees called up top prospect Jasson Domínguez ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Kansas City Royals, abruptly answering the question hovering over the club since rosters were expanded at the beginning of the month. Domínguez, 21, was in the Yankees’ starting lineup Monday, playing center field and batting sixth. Manager Aaron Boone said he will play “a lot” as the Yankees continue battling the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East title.
“This is a dream,” Domínguez said. “Since I started playing, I wanted to play in the big leagues and now I’m here again and it’s exciting and I’m happy [about] it.”
The Yankees’ decision to not promote the switch-hitter known as The Martian on Sept. 1, when teams were first allowed to field 28-man rosters, was surprising to outsiders. A significant swath of the fan base reacted with furor. Domínguez was producing at the Triple-A level while Alex Verdugo, the Yankees’ everyday left fielder, was one of the worst everyday players in the majors since June. Why wait?
Boone gave two primary reasons: First, injuries — a late start to the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last September and an oblique strain in June — disjointed Domínguez’s season and limited his game action. Secondly, Domínguez would only get called up to play every day, and Yankees decision-makers decided they wanted to give Verdugo, a 28-year-old veteran with postseason experience, more time to rebound.
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On Friday, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in Chicago that Verdugo gave the team “the best chance to win.”
Three days later, after taking two of three games from the Cubs but scoring just six runs, the Yankees were back home, Domínguez had a locker in their clubhouse and Verdugo, an impending free agent, was effectively demoted to the bench. What changed?
“I don’t know about change other than, look, the roster is a living, breathing organism every day that’s always kind of evolving and you’re always paying attention,” Boone said. “And like I said on Sept. 1, when we didn’t initially recall Jasson, he’s in the conversation every single day. I think as much as anything, it’s just continuing to build the momentum he’s built here over the last few weeks.”
Domínguez’s return to the Bronx comes a year after he provided a dose of electricity as a September call-up for a club en route to a disappointing 82-win season without a playoff appearance. Domínguez homered in his debut and hit three more home runs over the next seven games. But his season was cut short after he was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery soon thereafter, which pushed his 2024 debut back to mid-May.
Domínguez reached Triple-A Wilkes/Barre in June, appearing in nine games before suffering an oblique strain that sidelined him for over a month. His only major league action this season before Monday was as the Yankees’ 27th man in the Little League Classic against the Detroit Tigers last month. He batted fifth and played left field, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before he was sent back to the minors, where he pummeled pitching.
Domínguez batted .347 with four home runs and a .958 OPS in 18 games after the cameo. Overall, he slashed .314./376/.504 with 11 home runs in 58 games across three minor league levels this season, solidifying his place as a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball and a key part of the Yankees’ future. That future started Monday.
“I’ve been a huge fan ever since I met him,” Boone said. “Just love his makeup, his talent. And he’s earned this opportunity.”
The Yankees also activated infielder Jon Berti from the injured list, placed infielder DJ LeMahieu on the injured list with a right hip impingement, and designated left-handed reliever Anthony Misiewicz for assignment.
Berti, a 34-year-old speedster acquired the day before Opening Day, had been out since May with a left calf strain he reaggravated in July. Boone said LeMahieu has been dealing with hip discomfort for “a few weeks.” He added he isn’t sure if LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion having the worst season of his career, will play again in 2024.
