With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, the Yankees decided not to use one of their spots on their top prospect.
Sep 5, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Martian has not landed — yet.
On Sunday morning, the New York Yankees announced a flurry of moves as rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players. The team reinstated star first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the 60-day injured list, designated left-handed reliever Josh Maciejewski for assignment, and recalled right-handed relievers Ron Marinaccio and Scott Effross.
Conspicuously missing from their list of call-ups was top prospect Jasson Domínguez. Instead, the Yankees opted for a speedier outfield option, Duke Ellis, who was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on August 26. Ellis, a career .238/.325/.339 hitter in the minor leagues, offers a promising pinch-running option off the bench, with 51 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A this season.
Domínguez, 21, is ranked as the 17th-best prospect in baseball and No. 1 in the Yankees’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline. He made his major league debut exactly one year ago, posting a remarkable .980 OPS in 33 plate appearances before a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm ended his season nine days later, requiring Tommy John surgery.
This year, Domínguez began on the 60-day injured list as he continued his recovery. After a brief rehab assignment in May, the Yankees activated him and optioned him to Triple-A on June 12. Four days later, he was back on the IL with an oblique strain; since returning from injury, the switch-hitting outfielder has been impressive, batting .306/.358/.469 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 37 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Despite all indications pointing to Domínguez being fully healthy, he has only appeared in one big league game in 2024; he was brought up as the 27th man for the Little League Classic game on August 18 and batted fifth, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He was sent back down after the game, which was the plan going in, according to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.
There are incentives for the Yankees to keep Domínguez down in Triple-A for the time being, even if it means not fielding their best team during a tight divisional race. If Domínguez stays under 130 career at-bats (he currently has 35) by the end of the season, he will maintain his rookie status in 2025, making him a strong candidate for AL Rookie of the Year next season. If he wins the award, the Yankees would receive a compensatory draft pick after the first round in 2026. Extending his rookie eligibility also allows New York to keep their young star cost-controlled for an additional year.
However, there are clear drawbacks for the big league club. With Domínguez in Triple-A, the Yankees will continue to rely on Alex Verdugo as their everyday left fielder in a tight divisional race, despite his career-worst performance offensively; through 552 plate appearances, Verdugo is hitting .232/.292/.360 with 11 home runs and an 83 wRC+.
The Yankees enter Sunday with a 79-57 record, leading the Orioles by 1.5 games for first place in the AL East. Since Domínguez is on the 40-man roster, he remains postseason eligible, assuming the Yankees decide to call him up once it is mathematically impossible for him to lose his rookie status before 2025.
