ARLINGTON, Texas — A day after the Yankees decided not to promote Jason Dominguez to the major leagues, manager Aaron Boone reiterated that the decision is not set in stone.
The Yankees manager kept open the possibility that Dominguez could join the team sometime in September after the team kept him at Triple-A when rosters were expanded to 28 players on Sunday, a decision that infuriated fans.
“It's still very much a possibility,” Boone said Monday at Globe Life Field. “Just because it didn't happen on Sept. 1 doesn't mean it won't happen someday. … It's a tough decision for a guy who hasn't even played that many games at the Triple-A level yet, let alone played a week of major league baseball last year.”
“Honestly, nobody thinks more highly of Jason Dominguez than I do. I think he'll be a great player in this league. I like his qualities and I like his personality. He's definitely on the radar right now, but I'm just not ready to make the move yet.”
The Yankees want the 21-year-old Dominguez, who missed this year rehabbing Tommy John surgery and then a strained oblique muscle, to play every day wherever he is – although as of Monday he had played in 47 Triple-A games and had 201 career at-bats.
But they're not yet ready to give him a chance in the major leagues.
The most obvious opportunity is for Dominguez to replace Alex Verdugo in left field. Verdugo has struggled offensively (though he's been hitting better over the past week) but has been mostly solid defensively and Boone said Monday that the veteran “should be a Gold Glove candidate.”
Dominguez is a center fielder, but he has been playing more left field recently in preparation for a promotion. When asked how he was doing defensively, Boone said, “OK.”
“He was passable on the court,” Boone said, later adding that Dominguez's arm was fine. “There's definitely room for improvement on the court, but he's a true athlete in the middle of the diamond.”
Five years after graduating from Delbarton together, Anthony Volpe and Jack Leiter faced off in the major leagues for the first time on Monday night.
The two best friends have played against each other in practice during the offseason (and during the 2020 coronavirus shutdown), but on Monday they faced off in Leiter's fifth major league start and shared a significant milestone.
“It means a lot,” Volpe said before the game. “I know how hard he's worked to get this far. [on] Although we have all taken slightly different paths, it is very special to know that we can always come together and rely on each other no matter what challenges we face.”
Mr. Leiter's father, former Yankee Al Leiter, was scheduled to attend, but Mr. Volpe said there would have been a much larger local turnout if there hadn't been a genuine quote.
“Many people were trying, but the work [Tuesday]”We're all friends,” he said. “If there was an overnight flight or something, we'd all be here.”
Ian Hamilton, who is rehabbing from a back strain, sat out Friday's game because of back spasms but is expected to return on Wednesday or Thursday.
