The object in the rearview mirror, closer than it appears, is Jasson Dominguez.
Less than five weeks after the Yankees announced that a “significant” oblique injury means the outfielder could be “up to eight weeks” ready to play again, Dominguez was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where manager Aaron Boone said he could return “as soon as this week.”
He will continue to work out with SWB this week before taking to the field, and if he responds well, he could become an attractive option for the Yankees much sooner than expected.
“When he started playing [games]”He’s available,” Boone said Tuesday before the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium. “He’s very close to being available.”
Dominguez has not played since June 15 when he strained his oblique muscle on a check swing at Triple-A.
Five days later, Boone gave him his eight-week schedule.
But Dominguez has been working out at the team’s minor league facility in Tampa and took batting practice against relief pitcher Nick Burdy on Monday.
And the Yankees haven’t put a hard number on how many games or at-bats the 21-year-old needs to get in Triple-A before they feel comfortable bringing him back.
“If the need arises, he’ll play,” Boone said.
One could argue there’s already a need, with Giancarlo Stanton also set to return on a similar timeline, but that could complicate things a bit.
If healthy, Dominguez would have been used in place of slugger Stanton, who injured his hamstring on June 22.
Now, with Dominguez nearing an option, Stanton is also close to completing his build-up, with a decision on whether he will require a rehab assignment expected by the end of this week.
But even if Stanton returns to his designated DH role by next week, the Yankees could find room to use switch-hitter Dominguez in the outfield if Alex Verdugo continues to struggle.
The left-handed hitter had been well received in the clubhouse, particularly by Aaron Judge, who had been lobbying the Yankees to acquire him since before the winter, but as of Tuesday he was in the midst of a severe slump that had lasted more than a month.
Before taking on Mets left-hander Jose Quintana as the seventh batter in left field, Verdugo was batting .148 with a .418 OPS in his previous 29 games.
This slump led to a drop in Verdugo’s overall production, as he batted just .229 with a .653 OPS and 0.4 fWAR in 98 games.
The soon-to-be free agent’s defense has been strong, primarily in left field (apart from a costly error in Baltimore when the Orioles beat the Yankees in a walk-off win in the final game before the All-Star break), but his hitting has been lacking.
Meanwhile, Dominguez was promoted to the Yankees last September and immediately showed his mettle, batting .258 with four home runs and an OPS of .980 in eight games, but was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery after suffering a torn biceps.
Dominguez, whose start this season was delayed by elbow surgery, completed a 30-day rehab assignment before the Yankees demoted him to Triple-A on June 12 because he was a drag at the major league level with the Yankees’ outfield and Stanton all healthy and thriving.
More than a month later, things have changed. The Yankees are on an 11-21 losing streak as of Tuesday, and Verdugo is one of the few hitters in the lineup struggling.
The Yankees are expected to look to strengthen their infield and bullpen ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline, and if Dominguez returns and plays well, it could provide some internal momentum for the Yankees.
Before straining his oblique muscle, Dominguez had appeared in nine games at Triple-A, batting .389 with a 1.044 OPS.
