Clearwater, Fla. — Yankees manager Aaron Boone has pledged to give Jackson Dominguez a “full runway” this spring to learn the field on the left.
It's still very early, but Dominguez may need all the space you can get before the lift-off.
In his fourth spring training game, “The Martian” went on his second adventure in the left field in September last year to adapt to positions that plagued him and required a learning curve.
On Thursday, Dominguez couldn't finish a tough play. Although it became a double for Edmund Sosa, there was a deep drive in and out of his gloves.
In the three innings, Sosa crushed what Dominguez chased his back to the plate.
He may have reached the warning track on a run and misjudged the trajectory of the ball.
Dominguez in the air tried to scooped the ball out of the air, which deflected from his gloves to the truck.
“I got a good route. Dominguez jumped to catch it after tied 7-7 with the Phillies at Bay Care Ballpark. “I reached for it. The ball touched my gloves and it came out.”
The play was not routine and not mistaken, but I hope that the Yankees will presume Dominguez has, as expected, left Fielder in late March.
“It's just as tough play as you have,” Boone said. “I think it's always a story of everyone that JD has, but it's topspinning over your head, bullets, tough play.
“So we see it. Obviously we still had work to do, but that's as difficult as the chances you have.”
After Domínguez struggled on the left field last September, every opportunity Domínguez has will be scrutinized.
The Yankees walk through a free agency to Verdogo and have not signed an alternative, so Dominguez hopes to be able to use six weeks of spring training to adapt to the position of Cordy Bellinger, which is supposed for the center field.
A top prospect who has been hyped on the moon (or Mars) since his signature, Dominguez is a natural center fielder with all his physical tools.
“He's an incredible athlete,” said Carlos Rodon, who started on Thursday. “I think he has all the tools to become an elite defender. Right now I think it could take some time.”
In Domínguez's second Grapefruitreeg match, he lost the flyball in the sun in one instance and failed to reach the Gipper on the left center field with another tough (but possibly catchable) play.
The Yankees don't have an obvious left field answer if Dominguez is not the answer. There are prospects for fourth outfielders Trent Grisham, Oswald Cabrera (who is in the third-based competition), and perhaps an option, Everson Pereira on the roster.
For such a small sample size, the comfort level of Domínguez is probably more important than the results at this stage.
“I'm feeling better, but that's still something I'm working on,” the 22-year-old said. “Obviously you want to make all the plays, but that's a process.”
