This time, Mars didn’t attack. Not yet, anyway.
In a move sure to disappoint the majority of the fan base, the New York Yankees didn’t call up top outfield prospect Jasson Domínguez when rosters expanded on Sunday. The team will host the rubber match of a three-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium in the afternoon.
Domínguez, a 21-year-old switch-hitter, can handle all three outfield positions but has played center field and left field exclusively in the minors this season.
The Yankees didn’t bring him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he homered Saturday and hit .306 with five total bombs, 18 RBIs and a .827 OPS in 37 games.
The decision may be seen as a commitment to left fielder Alex Verdugo, who has struggled offensively but has been a strong defender and a key member of the clubhouse. Over his last 61 games, Verdugo has hit .197 with a .539 OPS.
JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ! BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK JACKS IN THE FIFTH INNING! 💥
405 Ft. | 103.7 mph pic.twitter.com/jdCjlYogAr
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) August 31, 2024
The Yankees briefly called up Domínguez earlier this season, when he went 0-for-4 vs. the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 18.
Rather than promoting Domínguez, the Yankees activated outfielder Duke Ellis, a speedster but also a light-hitting rookie they claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week. First baseman Anthony Rizzo (fractured right forearm) was also activated off the 60-day injured list. The Yankees also added relievers Ron Marinaccio and Scott Effross.
On Sunday, the Yankees made room for Rizzo by demoting first baseman Ben Rice. They had also sent down starting pitcher Will Warren.
On Friday, manager Aaron Boone said that if the Yankees were to promote Domínguez, it would ideally be with a regular role for him. With Aaron Judge is entrenched in center field, Domínguez’s natural fit could have been to take away at-bats from Verdugo. While Domínguez hits from both sides of the plate, he’s considered better from the left side.
Domínguez ranks No. 12 on Keith Law’s midseason list of the top 60 prospects in the game.
(Top photo of Jasson Domínguez at 2024 spring training: J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)
