Jasson Domínguez might make his much-anticipated return to the Yankees when rosters expand on Sunday.
This was how he was brought onto the club’s active roster for his MLB debut a year ago.
However, even though there’s a spot available for a position player on September 1, it doesn’t guarantee that the Yankees will use it on Domínguez.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone hinted at several options when asked about Domínguez and potential September call-ups on Friday before the team’s series opener against the Cardinals.
“He’s definitely one of those guys in the conversation for that,” Boone said. “I feel like he’s doing a good job after being a bit slow to return from the injury. He’s been putting together some solid days with good work and strong at-bats. He’s certainly a name under consideration.”
Domínguez completed his long rehab journey from Tommy John surgery earlier this summer, encountering a setback in June with an oblique strain. He returned to game action about six weeks later. Since then, the outfielder has posted a .267 average (27-for-111) with a .719 OPS over 25 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Recently, he’s been on a hot streak. In his last 12 games, as of Friday afternoon, Domínguez is hitting .380 (19-for-55) with a 1.016 OPS.
One reason the Yankees might not choose Domínguez
The 21-year-old Domínguez was briefly promoted earlier this month, serving as the Yankees’ 27th man for the Little League Classic against the Tigers on August 18. In that game, he struggled at the plate, striking out three times and going 0-for-4 in a walk-off loss to Detroit.
One reason the Yankees might not choose Domínguez on September 1 is their current situation in left field. Despite Alex Verdugo’s struggles at the plate this year, the Yankees have consistently used him in an everyday role.
However, Verdugo has shown signs of improvement recently, hitting .421 with eight hits in his last five games. Although this is a small sample size and a low bar for justification, it follows a lengthy slump during which Verdugo was one of the worst hitters in baseball. From May 8 to August 23, he batted .209 with a .579 OPS and a 62 wRC+ over 384 plate appearances.
As Boone hinted on Friday, the Yankees are unlikely to call up Domínguez just to have him sit on the bench. If Verdugo continues to improve, the chances of Domínguez getting called up will diminish.
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