One of the New York Yankees’ most talented farm prospects is getting a new job. According to the team’s X account, slugger Jasson Dominguez has been designated as the Bronx Bombers’ 27th man. Ahead of Sunday’s Little League Classic, which will match the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees, the franchise made the news.
On Sunday, Dominguez is part of the Yankees’ starting lineup. According to the team’s X account, he is batting fifth. It’s a left field start for the potential.
An extra body added to an MLB roster typically serves as a 27th man, providing support during a doubleheader. A team may manage no more than 26 players on their regular roster amid the grind of a regular schedule. It seems that New York is receiving a little additional comfort ahead of the Little League Classic.
One of the most highly anticipated prospects in the Yankees minor league system is Dominguez. In the minor leagues this season, the outfielder is hitting.298—a career-high for him. In addition to hitting seven home runs, he has 24 runs batted in. This season, he has appeared for the Yankees’ Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A affiliates, demonstrating that the team is not hesitant to move him around.
In the major leagues, the outfielder’s lifetime batting average is.258. His 2023 season comprised all of his at-bats in the professional ranks. He hasn’t had a recorded at-bat with the Yankees in 2024.
This year, the Yankees want to win the AL East handily.
Unlike many Yankees fans anticipated, Dominguez has not been as much of a necessity this season. The fact that the team has been successful with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and now Jazz Chisholm playing in the outfield is somewhat to blame for it. Following his 2023 output, Dominguez had some high expectations going into the 2024 season from Yankees supporters.
With a 73-51 record, New York heads into the Little League Classic on Sunday. The squad is attempting to stay ahead of the American League East leaders, the Baltimore Orioles. Sunday’s game will see New York up by one game against the Orioles. Clearly, Dominguez provides the squad with an additional offensive weapon if needed. After defeating Detroit on Friday, New York fell short against the Tigers on Saturday. If the Bronx Bombers win on Sunday night, they can win the series.
The fact that Dominguez is a member of the team must delight Yankees supporters. There are also many who want to see some playing time for the youthful talent. This season, Dominguez has struggled with an oblique ailment that has limited his movement. Many pundits believe he might be one of the franchise’s future stars.
Sunday at 7:00 Eastern, the Yankees and Tigers play in the Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Notable players added by the Yankees and Tigers for the Little League Classic
Due to the unique structure of the event, both the Yankees and Tigers are permitted to add a 27th member to their active squads when they play each other in the Little League Classic on Sunday night in Williamsport. With the Yankees calling up star prospect Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A and the Tigers activating outfielder Riley Greene from the 10-day disabled list, each team has made a very notable move to fill this additional roster place.
Although Dominguez is listed in the starting lineup for the Little League Classic, it appears like the 21-year-old’s time in the majors will just last a cup of tea since Yankees manager Aaron Boone informed reporters—including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com—that Dominguez will be sent back to Triple-A following the game. Plans might obviously change in the event of an injury, but as of right now, it appears that the Yankees are only using Dominguez, a right-hitter, to cover for lefty Alex Verdugo in left field, as southpaw Tarik Skubal is starting for Detroit.
Dominguez will play in his first Major League Baseball game on Sunday night since September of last year, when he hit.258/.303/.677 in his first 33 plate appearances. But just when “the Martian” was starting to live up to the expectations, he had to have Tommy John surgery. This left him sidelined until mid-May, when he was cleared to return for a rehab assignment in single-A ball. After climbing back up the ladder to Triple-A, Dominguez was sidelined for an additional six weeks in June due to an oblique issue.
Despite not being able to dominate minor league pitching, Dominguez is hitting.298/.365/.477 with seven home runs during his 167 combined PA at three levels of the Yankees’ farm system this season. These are still quite good figures, especially considering how many ailments he has been dealing with. If not for the crowded outfield situation in New York, he probably would have already been in the majors. There isn’t much room for Dominguez to get regular playing time because Giancarlo Stanton has the DH spot locked down and the starting outfield trio is Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Verdugo.
As of right now, there’s no lane for us to bring him [up],” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said a week ago. “Knowing he is there is good. He’s merely removing some rust and waiting for his chance, should it present itself.
The Yankees would undoubtedly like to see Dominguez continue his growth with regular reps in Triple-A rather than only intermittent playing time in New York, so this one-game cameo doesn’t exactly refute Cashman’s assertion. Given that Verdugo has been in a severe slump for more than three months, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dominguez get promoted to handle the majority of the left field duties as the postseason approaches.
Greene last appeared in a game for the Tigers on July 25. The outfielder has missed more than a month due to a right hamstring issue. Due to the 27th man rule, Detroit is exempt from making a matching roster change on Sunday; however, a roster adjustment will be required before to Detroit’s next game, which is on Tuesday against the Cubs.
As a rising star for the Tigers, Greene is currently in his third major league season and is hitting.264/.357/.485 with 17 home runs in 427 PA. As Detroit’s starting left fielder, Greene has already produced 2.8 fWAR thanks to his prowess at the plate and some outstanding glove work. Greene was named to his first All-Star team. Even though the Tigers’ rebuilding process is still ongoing, Greene appears to be a key component of the team’s long-term goals.
