3 Yankees to Monitor During Series vs. Dodgers: Time for Camilo Doval to Prove Himself

The struggling reliever headlines which Yankees should be under the microscope this weekend.

Will Camilo Doval give the Yankees more reasons to replace him with the trade deadline right around the corner? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The MLB All-Star Break came and went in a flash, officially ushering in the second half of the 2026 season. It's time for the Yankees to put on their hard hats and go to work, as they enter the resumed action three games behind the Rays for the American League lead.

The quest to catch their AL East rivals begins at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, when Aaron Boone & Co. host the World Series-defending Dodgers. It's the type of test that will give Yankees general manager Brian Cashman a sense of what he needs to do at the trade deadline, which is quickly approaching on Monday, Aug. 3.

It'll take a team effort for the Yankees to beat the Dodgers, even with the home-field advantage. Having said that, some players are worth monitoring more than others, both for good and bad reasons. That's why New York fans should keep an eye on this trio throughout the upcoming series in the Bronx.

Camilo Doval, RP

Camilo Doval hasn't exactly done much this season to show Yankees fans that better times are ahead. Last year's trade deadline acquisition might have a game or two where he'll pitch well, only to come completely undone and put New York behind the eight-ball. His performance was a concern as early as April, and nothing has happened to change that perception.

Doval enters the series vs. the Dodgers with a 5.09 ERA in 40 appearances, having surrendered 20 earned runs on 37 hits over 35 1/3 innings. He's allowing an average exit velocity of 90.7 mph and a hard-hit rate of 48.6%, per Baseball Savant. That's the type of performance that happens when a player is throwing a cutter and slider that yield batting averages of .333 and .294, respectively.

Camilo Doval hasn't exactly been reliable for the Yankees this season. Will things change soon? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Dominican reliever wants to stay with the Yankees and avoid being designated for assignment, a strong performance against the Dodgers would help. A former Giant, Doval has plenty of history against the World Series Champions, having faced them 19 times throughout his career. It's absurd, but he only surrendered a pair of earned runs—yes, just two—while striking out 28 batters with six saves in 18 1/3 innings.

That gives Doval an all-time ERA of 0.98 against the Dodgers, hopefully giving the Yankees some confidence that he can continue that trend this weekend.

Jasson Dominguez, OF

Yankees fans wanted to see what Jasson Domínguez could do as a full-time player heading into the 2026 campaign. The switch-hitting outfielder had to first start the season in the minors before quickly forcing a late-April call-up that was derailed by injury just nine games into his run. What followed upon his return in June was a lukewarm stretch that saw him slash .233/.270/.417 with two home runs, five RBIs, four stolen bases and three walks in 16 games (60 at-bats).

Ever since the calendar flipped to July, though, Domínguez has resembled a different player before the All-Star pause.

Jasson Domínguez is beginning to heat up at the perfect time for the Yankees. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Batting .289 across 38 ABs, Domínguez tallied two home runs, a pair of RBIs, two stolen bases, two walks and a .799 OPS in his last 10 games before the stoppage. He scored five runs as he amassed 18 total bases, all while recording three barrels with a 44% hard-hit rate, according to Baseball Savant. For reference, his season-long hard-hit rate is 39%, and he had only two barrels before that stretch.

Although he'll face Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Sunday's finale, Domínguez can breathe easy knowing that he won't face Shohei Ohtani or Justin Wrobleski in this series. Instead, he'll see more favorable matchups against Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

With that in mind, all eyes will be on Domínguez to see if he can step up against what could be the Yankees' biggest World Series threat.

Cody Bellinger, LF

Cody Bellinger will likely have a pep in his step when the Yankees return to action on Friday night. The two-time Silver Slugger was in top form as he led the American League to a 4-3 win over the National League at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, capturing MVP honors after recording a two-run single in the first inning. He became the fourth Yankee to win the award and the first since Giancarlo Stanton did so in 2022.

After a performance like that, though, New York fans want to see Bellinger lead by example down the stretch. The Yankees' $162.5 million man was in a bit of a slump beginning in mid-June, slashing .167/.241/.222 with seven walks, two RBIs and 18 strikeouts over 72 HR-less at-bats.

Cody Bellinger is the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP, hopefully sparking him to step up for the Yankees down the stretch. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The good news is that Bellinger was heating up before the break, going 7-for-16 (.438) with a 1.033 OPS and nine total bases in his last four games. Perhaps his ASG MVP performance was a way to show that his strong play is far from over. Either way, he'll need to keep things going against his former team this weekend.

Bellinger has faced the Dodgers 16 times since leaving Los Angeles after the 2022 season, slashing .296/.449/.685 with six HRs, 11 RBIs, 12 walks and four stolen bases over 54 ABs. That should give Yankees fans plenty of confidence that he can play a key role in solving the club's ongoing power concerns, whether they add help before the trade deadline or not.