New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone surprised everyone last week by announcing that outfielder Jasson Domínguez would be back in games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre within the week. This was an accelerated timeline from the club’s initial estimate, which stated in late June that Domínguez would likely take eight weeks to return from an oblique injury; instead, he was back in just five weeks.
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Boone said that when the need arises for the Yankees, Domínguez is “in play.” Since returning from his oblique injury, Domínguez has played in four games, going 3-for-14 with two RBIs. General manager Brian Cashman spoke with reporters Wednesday and was asked about the team’s plan for its No. 1 prospect and when fans might expect to see him back on the major-league roster.
“Just let him play out and he could be a part of our major-league roster or he could be an option at Triple A. Simple as that,” he said. “He’s a legitimate force when he’s healthy and all the rust is knocked off. It’s exciting to know that’s an opportunity that’s there. I have no idea past that. We like what we have currently, and it’d be nice to know that that’s sitting there if we need it.”
It doesn’t sound like the 21-year-old will be in the Bronx this month unless there’s an injury in the outfield or Giancarlo Stanton gets hurt again. Domínguez would have been the Yankees’ choice when Stanton went down with a hamstring injury in June, but Domínguez was injured.
It also makes sense for the Yankees to keep Domínguez in the minor leagues until rosters expand Sept. 1. Domínguez has 31 career MLB at-bats and can retain his rookie eligibility as long as he stays under 130. If Domínguez accumulates 100 at-bats from now until the end of the season, he would no longer be considered a rookie for 2025. By keeping him in the minors until he’s needed due to injury or until Sept. 1, Domínguez would remain eligible to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award next year.
Martian Mash! 👽
No.1 @Yankees prospect comes through for the RailRiders in his first game since June 15! pic.twitter.com/pXzj4UTrw9
— SWB RailRiders (@swbrailriders) July 27, 2024
Why is this important?
If Domínguez were to win AL Rookie of the Year, the Yankees would earn a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) draft pick. This extra draft pick comes immediately at the end of the first round. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles earned PPI draft picks for this year when Corbin Carroll and Gunnar Henderson won ROY awards in 2023. To earn PPI status, prospects must appear on at least two of three Top 100 rankings released by MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and ESPN; Domínguez is considered a Top 100 prospect by all major publications.
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Depending on where the Yankees play Aaron Judge next season, Domínguez — a natural center fielder — should be considered a favorite to either play center or left field come Opening Day 2025, giving The Martian a prime opportunity to win Rookie of the Year. Alex Verdugo is a free agent at season’s end, and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has already said the team’s payroll is unsustainable. If the Yankees re-sign Juan Soto in free agency this winter, the organization will need cheaper players on the roster to cut costs. That’s one of the hidden benefits of the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade: He’s under team control through 2026 and could replace Gleyber Torres, who’s making over $14 million this season, at second base next year. Domínguez will likely take Verdugo’s spot on next season’s roster to help manage payroll.
Why focus on 2025 when the Yankees are trying to win the World Series in 2024? The Yankees don’t necessarily need Domínguez at this moment to help them win games. They’re in a virtual tie with the Orioles in the American League East and have a light schedule in August. Seventeen of the Yankees’ 26 games in August are at home, and only two series are against teams with a winning record.
The two players Domínguez would potentially replace also aren’t playing poorly enough to warrant a change. Verdugo has a career-worst 91 wRC+, but he was effective on the recent road trip to Boston and Philadelphia, going 10-for-25 with four doubles. Stanton rocketed a 120 mph single in Wednesday’s game and has struck out only once in 10 at-bats. While Stanton’s timing has been a major issue in his return from injury without extensive rehab assignments in the past two seasons, it hasn’t yet proved to be a problem this time.
It also doesn’t make sense for Domínguez to be called up now only to ride the bench when he can play every day in the minors and get regular at-bats. When it matters most, Domínguez will likely be on the Yankees’ postseason roster because he is unquestionably one of their best position player options.
For now, though, it would be surprising to see Domínguez with the Yankees before next month, unless someone gets injured.
(Photo of Jasson Domínguez in May: Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Associated Presss)
Chris Kirschner is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Yankees. He previously covered the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-2022 for The Athletic. Chris was named Georgia's Sportswriter of the Year in 2021 for his work covering the Hawks. Chris is a native of Bronx, NY. Follow Chris on Twitter @chriskirschner
