For a brief moment Sunday night, the Yankees‘ 7–3 win over the Dodgers felt like it had come at too steep a price.
Jasson Dominguez, the electrifying young outfielder fans waited all year to see, exited with a left thumb contusion.
He couldn’t even grip a bat after sliding awkwardly into a base — and the dugout held its breath.
Dominguez’s breakout gains traction at the worst possible moment
Just as Dominguez was finally starting to look like a fixture in the lineup, the injury bug tried to derail his progress.
The 22-year-old has been turning heads with a .247/.346/.420 slash line and six home runs this season.
His 13.1% walk rate is among the best on the team, and his 50.9% hard-hit rate ranks in the 88th percentile.
More importantly, he’s hitting to all fields with increasing confidence and showing signs of true plate maturity.
The silver lining: early signs point to minor issue
Despite the scary nature of the injury, Dominguez said after the game that his thumb was already feeling a bit better.
He’ll undergo imaging in New York City, which will almost certainly sideline him for at least a few days.
However, early indications suggest the injury is minor — a relief for a Yankees team already dealing with depth concerns.
Growing confidence on defense gives Yankees hope
Dominguez entered the season with questions about his defensive reliability in centerfield — and those questions haven’t fully gone away.
But he’s slowly looking more sure of himself in the outfield, and while not a strength, his glove hasn’t been a disaster either.
If he continues trending upward, Dominguez has a chance to be a full-time contributor in all facets of the game.
Long-term outlook still incredibly bright
The Yankees aren’t just betting on Dominguez for 2024 — they’re viewing him as a cost-controlled cornerstone through 2031.
He’s arbitration-eligible for several more years, making his value on the payroll all the more important for a top-heavy roster.
In a lineup filled with expensive veterans, Dominguez represents the rare combination of youth, upside, and affordability.
Next man up, but fingers crossed
While the Yankees wait for test results, expect a short-term reshuffling in the outfield, with Trent Grisham taking over on an everyday basis.
Grisham has been red-hot to start the season, so the Yankees can feel confident that he can pick up the pieces.
If it is, Sunday’s injury scare will be nothing more than a speed bump in what could still be a breakout summer.
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