Jasson Domínguez 1-4 in victory after promotion to the Yankees

NEW YORK – The New York Yankees have called up top talent Jasson Domínguez to their team ahead of Monday's series opener against the Kansas City Royals, a move that seemed inevitable after expanding the roster earlier this month.

Domínguez, 21, played center field and was the sixth batter in the Yankees' 10-4 win on Monday. In his first game at Yankee Stadium in exactly a year, he hit 1-for-4, collected a stolen base and scored a run. Manager Aaron Boone said he will play “a lot” as the Yankees continue to battle the Baltimore Orioles for the American League East title with 18 games to go.

“This is a dream,” Dominguez said before the game. “Ever since I started playing, I wanted to play in the big leagues, and now I'm back here and it's exciting and I'm happy [about] It.”

The Yankees' decision not to promote the switch-hitter known as “The Martian” on September 1, when teams were first allowed to field 28-man rosters, was surprising. Much of the fan base reacted with outrage. Domínguez was playing at a high level in Triple-A, while Alex Verdugo, the Yankees' starter, had been one of the worst starters in the major leagues since mid-June. Why not give Domínguez a chance?

Boone cited two main reasons: First, injuries – a delayed start to the season following Tommy John surgery last September and an oblique strain in June – have made Domínguez's season inconsistent and limited his playing opportunities in 2024. Second, the Yankees would only let Domínguez play every day, and Yankees decision-makers wanted to give Verdugo, a 28-year-old veteran with postseason experience, more time to recover.

On Friday, general manager Brian Cashman told reporters in Chicago that Verdugo gives the team “the best chance to win.”

Three days later, after winning two of three games against the Cubs while scoring just six runs, the Yankees were back home, Domínguez had a locker in their dressing room, and Verdugo, a slated free agent, was effectively relegated to a part-time role. What changed?

“I don't know anything about changes other than the roster is a living, breathing organism every day that is constantly evolving and you always have to pay attention to it,” Boone said. “And like I said on Sept. 1 when we didn't recall Jasson initially, he's in the conversation every day. I think it's all about continuing to build on the momentum he's built here over the last few weeks.”

The signing of Domínguez means less playing time for Verdugo in the final period, but Verdugo started in left field on Monday and responded by hitting 2-for-4 with a two-run home run from the ninth hole, continuing his recent stretch of improved performance.

“He's going to come here, he's going to play, he's going to help this team win,” Verdugo said of Domínguez after the game. “Whatever that means, that's what it means, right? If I lose a little bit of playing time, I lose a little bit of playing time. At the end of the day, I want to win. The only thing that matters is getting to the playoffs and winning there.”

When asked if anyone had told him how his role would change, Verdugo said he had not heard from anyone.

“No, not yet,” said Verdugo, who has a .237 batting average with 12 home runs and a .659 OPS this season. “But I'm sure we'll find out soon.”

Domínguez's return to the Bronx came a year after he provided plenty of momentum in September for a club that was on its way to a disappointing 82-win season without a playoff appearance. Domínguez hit a home run in his debut and hit three more home runs in the next seven games, but his season was ended prematurely when he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly afterward, pushing his 2024 debut back to mid-May.

Domínguez reached Triple-A Wilkes/Barre in June and appeared in nine games before suffering an oblique strain that sidelined him for more than a month. His only major league appearance this season before Monday was as the Yankees' 27th man in the Little League Classic against the Detroit Tigers last month. He was the fifth batter and played left field, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before being sent back to the minors, where he slammed pitchers.

Domínguez hit .347 with four home runs and a .958 OPS in 18 games after his cameo appearance. Overall, he posted a batting average of .314/.376/.504 with 11 home runs in 58 games at three minor league levels this season, cementing his place as one of the top 10 prospects in baseball and a key player in the Yankees' future. That future began on Monday.

“I've been a huge fan since I met him,” Boone said. “I just love his makeup, his talent. And he deserves this opportunity.”

The Yankees also activated infielder Jon Berti from the injured list on Monday, placed infielder DJ LeMahieu on the injured list because of a right hip impingement and designated for assignment left-handed reliever Anthony Misiewicz.

Berti, a 34-year-old speedster signed the day before Opening Day, had been out since May with a left calf injury he sustained in July while rehabbing. Boone said LeMahieu has been dealing with hip discomfort for “a couple of weeks.” He added that he is unsure whether LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion coming off the worst season of his career, will play again in 2024.