JASSON DOMINGUEZ IS READY FOR REHABILITATION AND TO FIGHT FOR A BIG LEAGUE PLACE!

I was impatiently awaiting the return of Jasson Dominguez. I was pretty upset when we lost him last September. It feels like an eternity has passed, but he’s finally ready to start rehab. As long as it felt for me, it must have been infinitely longer for him.

On Tuesday or Wednesday, Dominguez begins his journey to play meaningful matches again. The real question will be: Will these meaningful games be in the majors again at Yankee Stadium or in the minors? The Yankees could have a tough decision to make if he completes his rehab without setbacks.

According to Aaron Boone, Dominguez will only start in a DH role for the first two weeks and if all goes well, will begin seeing time on the field. You can read more here. Once rehab begins, the 20-day clock also begins and once the clock expires, the Yankees will have to decide whether to add him to the major league roster or pick him up from the minors.

That 20-day clock seems scary, but a lot can happen between now and then. This team has been ravaged by injuries for years, so a lot can change quickly. Currently, the Yankees have Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo in the outfield. The Yankees also have Trent Grisham on the bench, who hasn’t played much thanks to his abysmal .69 BA. Right now, there is no natural spot for Dominguez and I say natural because I wouldn’t want to just call him up to sit him on the bench. He had a quick promotion to the majors last season after playing in nine Triple-A games, he has to play every day.

But then again, anything can happen in almost three weeks. We could see Giancarlo Stanton suffer some sort of injury or anyone else. This could change the roster landscape, giving Dominguez an opportunity. Honestly, I’d like to see this team stay healthy and if I’m being completely honest, I want to keep Verdugo’s bat in this lineup.

So I’m delighted that our Martian is almost back. I haven’t been this excited about one of our kids in a long time. I really think he will make a difference for us in the future. That being said, my gut tells me that if the Yankees have no injuries, they will list him in the minors if he completes rehab without issues…and I’m OK with that. He needs to play every day and even if he doesn’t make a big league team now, it’s coming. We saw what happened last season, so he will get his chance.

If we don’t see him in a Major League stadium here soon, it will be because we are healthy and that will be a welcome change. We don’t need to rush him right now. They say good things come to those who wait, so for once I can be patient, for now.

–Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Editor