Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees caught a break on Friday. Aaron Boone confirmed that Jasson Dominguez’s CT scan on his left elbow came back clean, per Gary Phillips, and the 23-year-old has already started doing baseball activities.
After the initial x-rays came back inconclusive following the hit by pitch on Wednesday, there was real concern that the Yankees were about to deal with their third outfield absence in the span of a week. Instead, it looks like Dominguez avoided anything serious and could be available off the bench sooner rather than later.
That’s genuinely good news for a roster that has been managing the DH spot on the fly since Giancarlo Stanton hit the injured list with his right calf strain. Losing Dominguez too would have forced the Yankees’ hand on Spencer Jones, which might have happened anyway, but at least now they have options rather than just one move to make.
What Dominguez’s Status Means
He was having a terrific Triple-A season before the call-up. Through 24 games in Scranton, he was hitting .326/.415/.478 with three homers and 15 RBIs, operating with a quality strikeout rate of 15.1% that reflected genuine offensive improvements from previous seasons. That version of Dominguez in a bench role with the occasional start is a legitimate weapon, especially against right-handed pitching where his switch-hitting profile has real value.
He has been improving from the right side of the plate, though, so that’s worth noting.
Not to mention, Randal Grichuk cleared waivers and opted for free agency on Friday, which means the outfield roster spot that Dominguez occupied is no longer under pressure from a depth standpoint. The Yankees aren’t scrambling to make a move to cover the position. They can be patient, let Dominguez fully clear the elbow issue over the next few days, and bring him back when he’s genuinely ready rather than rushing him back into a lineup spot he doesn’t need to fill immediately.
The interesting question now is what happens when Stanton returns from the IL. Grichuk is gone. Dominguez is here. If he performs at anything close to the level he was showing in Triple-A, there’s a real argument that he sticks on this roster even when Stanton returns. He’s better than what the Yankees had coming off the bench before April, and the roster construction reflects that.
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