One Yankees Seat Is Getting Warmer as Jasson Domínguez's Rehab Begins

With Jasson Domínguez's rehab assignment commencing, and his return to the New York Yankees imminent, somebody is going to find themselves heading back to Scranton. It feels like an easy answer.

With so many outfielders on the roster already, Spencer Jones could be heading back. The two of them would already be dueling for playing time, but if the Yankees are still looking to go with a merit-based approach, that's not the name who should be heading back to Triple-A.

New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The answer is Anthony Volpe, who hasn't made much of an impact on the roster. He had that big hit against the Kansas City Royals and has even homered, but other than that, all those red flags he has are still showing up when he plays.

Volpe against the Red Sox

There were two moments, specifically against the Red Sox, that stood out. The first was a throw to first that showed his lack of arm strength.

The ball meekly sailed out of Volpe's hand and took a hop before landing in front of Paul Goldschmidt. Thankfully, Goldschmidt was able to scoop it out of the dirt. Were it not for his acumen at the position, that ball would have rolled behind first.

You hate to nitpick, but even though Jose Caballero is not infallible, he isn't making throws like that unless the ball is coming out of his hand from an awkward position. Volpe has made a few of those over the years because he just doesn't have the arm strength.

Volpe has a 20th percentile arm strength this season. He had a 33rd-percentile arm strength last year and 29th-percentile arm strength in 2024. Volpe doesn't have a large sample size so far, but he has averaged at least 80 MPH on his throws over the years. This year, it's down to 79, showing clear signs of regression in something he already struggled with.

The next moment came against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. Chapman, who struggled with command and walked Max Schuemann, just threw three straight fastballs down the heart of the plate. Volpe stood there.

It was essentially a show of disrespect there, knowing Volpe wouldn't do damage. Chapman figured correctly because he watched each of them and was called out on strikes in three pitches.

Anthony Volpe had no chance against Aroldis Chapman in this at-bat. pic.twitter.com/B3FfoX73iI
— James Gatlin (@Gatlinsports) June 6, 2026

Roster construction post-Volpe

By sending down Volpe for Domínguez, the Yankees effectively have a more athletic roster. Caballero returns to shortstop. Then the Yankees could have either Jones or Domínguez in right field. If there are days that Jones plays over him, he could serve as a pinch runner. His speed has already won them games this season.

Volpe, unfortunately, doesn't add much. He's a streaky hitter and a liability on defense. If he goes down, it's not like there isn't anyone on the roster who can play short in an emergency. Schuemann and Amed Rosario both have experience at short.

Also, as far as either Jones or Domínguez not getting the necessary reps in the outfield and at the plate, the Yankees have been known to keep prospects on the roster just so they could have big league experience and be around veterans.

They did it for Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada in 1995. Brian Cashman wasn't GM at that point, but he was rising through the ranks.

There was a little bit of that for Oswald Peraza in 2022 as well. That was during a time when the Yankees thought he was going to be their everyday shortstop of the future.

It wouldn't hurt for Jones in particular to share a dugout with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, and Giancarlo Stanton. Who better to learn from than a quartet of MVPs? He could stay up at least until Stanton returns.

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