Subscribe
Follow Us
New York Yankees fans were baffled when the team decided not to call up prospect Jasson Dominguez when rosters expanded to 28 on September 1. Just over a week later, they got their wish, as the Yankees promoted their top prospect prior to their game Monday night against the Kansas City Royals.
Dominguez will bat sixth for the Yankees and play centerfield in the series opener against Royals pitcher Brady Singer. The team placed DJ LeMahieu on the Injured List with a right hip impingement as a corresponding move.
It's a quick reversal from what general manager Brian Cashman said just a few days ago. Meeting with the media last Friday as the team played the Cubs at Wrigley Field, he insisted that Alex Verdugo gave the Yankees a better shot to win down the stretch.
“It just comes down to, what’s best to help us win games?” Cashman said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Verdugo's struggles have been well documented, and Cashman surely knew the backlash his comments would cause. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast.
“I think he’s playing good baseball right now,” he added. “He’s playing much better than he had been. Just comes down to, is that the best route to go? That’s how we’ve got it set up currently.”
In Cashman's defense, he's not wrong about Verdugo. Despite his lackluster numbers, the outfielder had actually been playing much better. Verdugo is batting .320 in his last 14 games, but in a season in which he has compiled an OPS+ of 83 in 519 at bats, it seems the Yankees now think Dominguez gives them a better shot.
And he will be in the lineup often.
“If he comes here, he’s going to play,” Cashman added.
In eight games with the Yankees last season, Dominguez was electric, hitting four home runs and a double in 31 at bats. A torn UCL and Tommy John surgery ultimately derailed his season and limited him to only 57 games in the minors this year. He made the most of his time, however, hitting .309 in Triple-A with an .858 OPS.
This will technically be Dominguez's second call-up this year. He served as the 27th man for the Yankees in the Little League Classic in August, going 0-4.
