The Yankees have said that they trust Jasson Domínguez in left field and that they’re pleased with the progress he’s made in the corner.
However, the natural center fielder, who made a few mistakes in left last September and this spring, did not play full games in three of his first four contests this season. Domínguez’s only complete game prior to Wednesday came on March 29, a day in which he served as the Yankees’ designated hitter.
Domínguez started in left the other three games, only to be replaced by Trent Grisham in the late innings each time. Grisham took over in center, while Cody Bellinger slid over to left as Domínguez headed to the bench.
“Over time, I feel like I won’t do that because I do feel like he’s going to get to a point to where he continues to develop, continues to get more and more comfortable with reps out there,” Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks, which saw Domínguez start in left. “To where my expectation is that he becomes an outstanding defensive left fielder.”
Boone previously said that he’s been impressed with Domínguez’s defensive development, particularly his routes. But on Opening Day, a 4-2 Yankees win, Bellinger said that he knew going into the day that the plan was for him to shift to left if the game was close toward the end. On March 30, the Yankees replaced Domínguez while leading 7-3 before winning 12-3. Then, on Tuesday, Domínguez exited with a 4-2 lead after hitting his first homer of the season earlier in the game, but the Yankees ultimately lost to Arizona, 7-5.
Only 22, Domínguez still hasn’t gotten many career reps in left, as injuries limited his availability in the minors last season before a September audition in the majors.
Asked about weighing substituting for Domínguez vs. getting him another at-bat in tight games, Boone said it’s “an important part of this process, making sure Jasson continues to develop in the best possible way.” The manager went on to note that Grisham, “a really good player” who is playing at a “really high level through his first several games,” is the man replacing Domínguez.
Grisham went 2-for-6 in his first eight plate appearances this season, but the switch-hitting Domínguez offers more offensive upside than the veteran, who is a .214/.315/.381 career hitter.
Boone has considered that substituting Domínguez for Grisham creates a left-handed lane at the bottom of the order — this is why the Yankees would benefit from a right-handed bench bat better than Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza — as Grisham followed Austin Wells and preceded Ben Rice upon entering on Tuesday. The trio had to face D’backs lefty A.J. Puk in the ninth.
While Rice homered, Reyes pinch-hit for Cabrera — a switch-hitter who is better against right-handers — and ended the game with a lineout.
“That’s part of our team right now,” Boone said of the lefty-lane created by replacing Domínguez. “You can’t have it all. The bottom line is we gotta try and leverage as best we can. There’s certain nights you’re gonna have a lead. We’re gonna hopefully, more often than not, close that out, and defense is a part of that.”
Top Prospect Using New Bats
Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ third-best prospect on MLB.com, told reporters at Double-A Somerset that he plans on using a torpedo bat after trying one toward the end of spring training.
“They showed me that my barrel was like 20th percentile in barrel size of bats,” Jones said Tuesday. “So it’s like, ‘Why am I using a bat with a tiny barrel when I can maximize it?’ It’s obvious for me to start using a bigger barrel.”
Jones, 23, is back at Double-A after spending the entire 2024 season there. He hit .259/.336/.452 with 17 homers, 78 RBI and 25 homers, but he struck out a whopping 200 times and struggled with consistency month to month.
He’s hoping a new bat helps with that.
“I don’t want to have months where I absolutely suck,” he said.
Leadoff Remains Fluid
While Wells batted first for the Yankees on Opening Day, Paul Goldschmidt has occupied the spot in every game since.
Boone said that the job is still a fluid situation on Wednesday. He added that he had Goldschmidt hitting first on Wednesday for lineup balance and because Arizona starter Zac Gallen, a righty, has slightly-reverse splits.
