MLB

Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez back on injured list after Triple-A setback

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Social Links for Greg Joyce
Published June 16, 2024
Updated June 17, 2024, 1:01 a.m. ET

BOSTON — Less than a week after finishing his rehab assignment following Tommy John surgery, Jasson Dominguez is back on the shelf.

The Yankees’ top outfield prospect landed on the seven-day injured list Sunday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a left side/oblique injury that stemmed from a check swing in Saturday’s game.

Dominguez was undergoing tests on Sunday to determine the extent and specifics of the injury, but manager Aaron Boone acknowledged “it was enough to put him on the IL right away at least.”

“Kind of took an awkward check swing and continued on in the at-bat,” Boone said Sunday before the Red Sox crushed the Yankees 9-3 in the series finale at Fenway Park. “That was his last at-bat.”

Jasson Dominguez is going back on the injured list.
Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez is going back on the injured list. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Yankees on Wednesday had reinstated Dominguez from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A after playing 20 games on a rehab assignment following September surgery to repair his torn UCL.

Boone had recently said that Dominguez would be ready to help the Yankees when needed, though there was no open spot for the 21-year-old switch hitter to get everyday at-bats in the big leagues.

The Yankees’ outfield depth at Triple-A had already taken a hit recently as Everson Pereira underwent season-ending internal brace surgery to repair a torn UCL.

He and Dominguez are the only two outfielders on the 40-man roster that are not currently in the big leagues.

Jasson Domínguez poses for a portrait during New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 21, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.
Jasson Domínguez poses for a portrait during New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 21, 2024. Getty Images

Across 23 games in the minor leagues this season, Dominguez was batting .356 with a 1.014 OPS, six home runs and three steals. Saturday was his seventh straight game playing center field after the Yankees had eased him into defensive action.

As of late afternoon Sunday, the Yankees said they had still not made a decision on whether Gerrit Cole’s next start would come in the big leagues.

They have left Wednesday’s probable starter against the Orioles listed as “TBA,” though that would be Cole’s fifth day.

Cole is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Monday, and it’s possible the Yankees are waiting for him to get through that without any issues before making a final decision — following the trend they have stuck to throughout his rehab process.

”We don’t have to make that final call right now,” Boone said. “He’s gonna pitch, probably, in that five- or six-day window coming off his last one [on Friday]. It’s like, let’s just not tie ourselves to something until we have to, to be able to give it a couple days and recover properly and make sure we’re good.”

Cody Poteet would likely start on Wednesday if the Yankees decide to have Cole make one more rehab start.

Nestor Cortes is set to start Tuesday’s series opener against the Orioles, with Luis Gil listed for Thursday.

The Yankees entered Sunday 28-13 on the road this season, which trailed only the Orioles (22-10) for the best road record in the majors.