Yankees Make a Decision on Jasson Dominguez After Activating Young Star From IL

The New York Yankees have decided what they are going to do with budding young star Jasson Dominguez, who was activated from the IL on Wednesday.

Sep 9, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have officially made their decision regarding their young star.

On Wednesday, the Yankees reinstated outfielder Jasson Dominguez from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Utility man Jon Berti (calf) was also shifted to the 60-day IL, NJ.com's Max Goodman provided the update on both players.

This was the expected move for Dominguez all along as the Yankees' outfield is crowded with superstars Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, as well as left fielder Alex Verdugo, who is no slouch. Trent Grisham is the team's fourth outfielder and backup center fielder. And utility bench players Oswaldo Cabrera and Jahmai Jones can play the corner outfield spots as well.

Dominguez played in 20 rehab games across three minor league affiliates for the Yankees, where he slashed .368/.415/.658 with six home runs and 13 RBI. However, there is no room for the 21-year-old on the big-league roster unless one of their starters go down with an injury.

For now, the play for Dominguez is to stay healthy and continue impressing in Triple-A until his name gets called down the stretch of the season. He will likely factor into the Yankees' starting outfield if the team loses one or both of Soto and Verdugo in free agency next winter.

It appears that the Yankees will prioritize retaining Soto, who managing partner Hal Steinbrenner told YES Network's Jack Curry last month that the organization intended to approach about a contract extension soon. Whether a long-term deal gets done with Soto in the regular season or not, the Yankees are expected to make a serious push to re-sign him if he hits the open market after 2024.

Dominguez performed well last September upon making his major league debut with the Yankees. But he wound up tearing his UCL, which required Tommy John surgery. The good news is that he's back healthy and still fits into the team's plans in the long-run.