Alex Verdugo sends clear message about Jasson Dominguez’s arrival to the Yankees

Yankees fans have been in a tizzy since Jasson Dominguez was called up to New York on Monday. And given the immediate impact he’s expected to have, Yankees players are surely excited to see him wearing a pinstripe jersey.

However, if there was one player who would have reason to lament the arrival of Dominguez, it would be Alex Verdugo.

The struggling left fielder didn’t live up to expectations after signing with the Yankees last offseason. And because Dominguez plays the outfield — and he’s certainly not looking to take Aaron Judge’s job in center field or Juan Soto’s job in right field — Dominguez is expected to usurp Verdugo’s starting role in left.

Still, Verdugo made it clear Monday that he welcomes Dominguez’s arrival, even if it means he’ll get less playing time.

“He’s going to come in here, he’s going to play, he’s going to help this team win,” Verdugo said, according to Max Goodman of NJ Advance Media. “Whatever that means, that means, right? If I lose a little bit of playing time, I lose a little bit of playing time. At the end of the day, I want to win. The only thing that matters is getting to the playoffs and winning there.”

Verdugo’s performance in Monday’s 10-4 win over the Kansas City Royals also showed confidence, as he hit his first home run in 52 at-bats to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning.

Dominguez and Verdugo both started Monday, with Verdugo starting in left and Dominguez taking over in center field so Judge could be the designated hitter.

While it’s likely that either Verdugo or Dominguez will start most of the games ahead, Verdugo prioritizing winning over potential playing time deserves a lot of respect.