Andrew Buller-Russ
A strong season in the minor leagues led to top New York Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez finally getting his promotion to the majors on September 1, when rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players. He’s seemingly torn the cover off the ball ever since, crushing four home runs in just 33 plate appearances to achieve an OPS of .980.
But Sunday’s late scratch to the lineup brought caution for Dominguez, who’s experiencing right elbow inflammation. However, an official medical diagnosis delivered much bigger concerns, revealing Dominguez has a torn right ulnar collateral ligament.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan added that Dominguez may even need the dreaded Tommy John surgery. Yet, since Dominguez puts much less stress on his arm as an outfielder as opposed to a pitcher, he wouldn’t face the typical year-plus recovery time. Instead, Dominguez may be able to return to the field in as few as six months, which could put him back on track for the Yankees’ regular season debut in 2024.
The Yankees’ season may not have many games left, and based on the initial diagnosis, Dominguez’s season is over too. Still just 20 years old, he’ll have plenty of other chances to make a stronger impact in New York, but he’ll have to get healthy again first.
Related: A look at some of the most underrated players in the American League — one for every team
