The New York Yankees stunningly didn’t include star prospect outfielder Jasson Dominguez as part of their roster expansion call-ups. The decision, reasonably so, was not received very well by fans, as there is little to no justification for continuing to play negative assets such as Alex Verdugo in the middle of a tight division race.
The Yankees decided not to call up Jasson Dominguez because of playing time
Yankees manager Aaron Boone detailed why Dominguez was not called up prior to Sunday’s rubber match against the St. Louis Cardinals, citing available playing time as the driving factor.
“Certainly in the conversation, will remain in the conversation moving forward,” Boone said (h/t SNY). “When he comes up here, you’re gonna want to play him every day.”
Dominguez, 21, is the Yankees’ No. 1 rated prospect in their farm system and the 16th-highest rated overall, according to MLB.com’s prospect rankings. He likely would have been the team’s Opening Day starting outfielder if he hadn’t suffered a UCL injury late last season. In mid-June of this season, he suffered an oblique strain that took him out of action for a month.
Alex Verdugo has had a rough season with the Yankees
The injuries caused the Yankees to acquire Alex Verdugo in the offseason, who started the season strong but has been one of the worst-qualified hitters in baseball over the past few months. Since June 16, Verdugo has the lowest OPS (.550) and wRC+ (57) among all qualified hitters in the American League.
Boone briefly talked about Verdugo’s season and thinks that luck plays a factor in his struggles at the plate.
“I do think he’s been a little bit unlucky this year,” Boone said (h/t SNY). You kind of scratch underneath and kind of in line with what he’s done most of his career, as far as just the contact quality.”
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The Yankees were allowed to carry a 27th man for the Little League Classic against the Detroit Tigers last month, and Dominguez was selected as that extra player, batting fifth and going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He was sent down immediately following the conclusion of the game, and the expectation was that he would be back with the team on the first day of roster call-ups given Verdugo’s immense struggles.
Obviously, Dominguez was not called up, and so now the team has to continue trying to bank on Verdugo to finally snap out of a months-long slump. Verdugo was in the lineup and batting ninth Sunday against the Cardinals.
The Yankees need Dominguez for the postseason
It is unclear exactly when, or if, the Yankees’ top prospect will be called up. The team seems intent on maintaining Dominguez’s rookie status, which would give the Yankees an additional draft pick if he were to win the AL Rookie of The Year award in 2025.
The Yankees will likely need Dominguez to provide lineup depth for the postseason, so the urgency of the team will best be demonstrated by how much longer they allow a struggling Verdugo to get everyday at-bats.
