With the New York Yankees lineup not delivering at the level many hoped for entering the season, they could soon get a major boost to the order with the return of the top prospect in their minor league system.
When the Yankees made a blockbuster trade for Juan Soto this winter the hope was that the star outfielder would help make an already formidable lineup the best in baseball. While the three-time All-Star has held up his end of the bargain and is an early MVP candidate, the rest of the order has not.
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One-time American League MVP Aaron Judge has gotten off to a terrible start to the 2024 season and is hitting .222 heading into the MLB games today. Furthermore, Giancarlo Stanton’s offseason adjustments have not made much of a difference in his game, and two-time All-Star Gleyber Torres has also had a sluggish start to the season. However, there may be hope for the New York batting order.
On Tuesday, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed that No. 1 ranked prospect Jasson Dominguez is “within two weeks” of beginning his rehab assignment.
“He’ll start probably the first two weeks will be all DH, but yes, he’s getting close to starting games,” Boone said.
The top player in the Pinstripes system is seven months removed from Tommy John surgery. He has been taking batting practice for several weeks, but what is most important is he has been throwing since February. So, when he does make his return to the big leagues he won’t necessarily be limited to only being a designated hitter.
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It will be interesting to see how Boone handles getting him into the lineup. Does he bench Stanton who is making $32 million this season, or does he take Alex Verdugo’s spot in the lineup? A player who has been one of the few to get off to a strong start at the plate this season.
Jasson Dominguez has been nicknamed the Martian or El Marciano for his otherworldly gifts on the field. He showed flashes of that in eight games last season when he slashed 258/.303/.677 with four home runs and seven runs batted in.
