BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — A lot of Yankees fans have been hoping, pleading and begging for a roster change that had no chance of happening.
They aren’t going to dump struggling extra outfielder Trent Grisham for No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez, whose 20-day rehab assignment ended on Sunday.
That could be a strong possibility – or probability - when it comes time to set playoff rosters in October, but not now.
It doesn’t matter that Grisham is hitting .051 with two hits in 39 at-bats playing 20 games and starting 20 as a reserve center fielder or that Dominguez followed his amazing cameo with the Yankees last September by hitting .333 with four homers in his first 14 games after Tommy John surgery.
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The Yankees own the American League’s best record with a lineup that includes MVP candidates Juan Soto in right field and Aaron Judge in left, plus Alex Verdugo has been a major contributor as the left fielder and Giancarlo Stanton is having a bounce-back season as the designated hitter.
Dominguez, 21, needs to play every day, and that just wasn’t going to happen in the big leagues now.
With Dominguez’ 20-day rehab assignment expired on Sunday, the Yankees announced a surprising update on Tuesday.
Dominguez has been reassigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for a rehab that has been extended for another 10 days
Dominguez was sent to Triple-A having played only 12 innings of outfield over three games during his rehab, as he only was used as a DH in the first two weeks.
Dominguez spent most of last season in Double-A before getting a promotion to Triple-A in August. After hitting .419 in nine games with Scranton, Dominguez got a first call-up to the Yankees in September when they committed to finishing a season in which they were out of playoff contention by playing prospects.
Dominguez, who was hyped as a future superstar since the switch-hitter was signed out of the DR for $5.1 million as a 16-year-old, lived up to it in first cups of coffee as a big leaguer. He homered in the first inning of his first game in Houston off Justin Verlander and went on to hit .258 with four homers and 10 RBI in nine games before being scratched on Sept. 10 with right elbow discomfort.
An MRI revealed a UCL tear in his throwing arm. That led to Tommy John surgery on Sept. 20, then a 7 ½ months of rehabbing before he started his rehab assignment with Tampa on May 14.
“I think it’s has gone really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said last weekend. “It’s been in line with really how the whole rehab process for him has gone. There haven’t really been many hiccups along the way. It’s been smooth. He’s in great shape and the build-up has gone well. He’s in a really good frame of mind. He’s playing well and we’re excited about his progress.”
In Triple-A, Dominguez will probably be the RailRiders’ everyday center fielder in an outfield that includes fellow top prospect Everson Pereira in left, veteran Oscar Gonzalez in right with Taylor Trammell and Greg Allen gets starts in reserve roles.
A Triple-A roster spot for Dominguez opened on Monday when outfielder Brandon Lockridge was placed on the 7-day injured list. Lockridge, who suffered an undisclosed injury stealing a base on Sunday, started 34 games in the outfield for Scranton this season, including 34 in center field.
As for Grisham, the Yankees are still hoping he starts hitting when he’s in the lineup and they still like the two-time Gold Glove’s defense.
But there’s no denying he’s been a huge disappointment. The Yankees thought they were adding a quality fourth outfielder and left-handed power when he was part of the December trade with the Padres that bought in Soto.
So far, Grisham has contributed one home run in a losing cause in Milwaukee on April 26. Since that game, he’s 0-for-19 with 10 strikeouts and three walks.
Grisham, 27, was a regular with San Diego last season and contributed 13 homers and 50 RBI in 153 games while batting only .198. For his career, he’s a .212 hitter with 62 homes in 568 games with the Brewers (2019) and Padres (2020-23).
Jasson Dominguez timeline
July 2, 2019: Signed by Yankees as amateur free agent for $5.1M
June 28, 2021: Played for FCL Yankees in pro debut, going 0-for-2 with a walk and strikeout.\
Sept. 1, 2023: Promoted to majors and played center field in Yankees’ 6-2 win in Houston, going 1-for-4 with a first-inning, first-swing, two-run homer off Justin Verlander.
Sept. 3, 2023: First noticed “something wasn’t right” in right elbow during pre-game activities, then hit second homer in three games in a win that completed a three-game sweep of the Astros.
Sept. 5, 2023: Played first game at Yankee Stadium, gong 1 for-4 with a double in 5-1 win over Tigers.
Sept. 8, 2023: Hit fourth homer in seven games in 8-2 home loss to Brewers.
Sept. 9, 2023: Was 0-fo4 in 9-2 loss to Brewers at Yankee Stadium.
Sept. 10, 2023: Was late scratch from lineup due to elbow discomfort. Tests that day revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament
Sept. 14, 2023: Decides to undergo Tommy John surgery. Yankees announce estimated return will be 9-to-10 months.
Sept. 20, 2023: Had Tommy John surgery in Arlington, Texas. Dr. Keith Meister included internal bracing in procedure, potentially expediting return.
May 14, 2024: Begins 20-day rehab assignment with Low-A Tampa, goes 1-for-3 with a walk and strikeout DHing vs. Bradenton.
May 21, 2024: Rehab assignment transferred to Double-A Somerset after 4 games with Tampa (5-for-13, 2 RBI).
May 29, 2024: Plays 3 innings of CF for Somerset, his first action in field since Tommy John surgery.
June 2: Starts in CF and goes 0-for-2 with 2 K on day 20 of his 20-day rehab assignment.
June 4: Reassigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for rehab that has been extended 10 more days with a .333 average, 4 HR, 10 RBI in 14 games, the last 10 with Somerset (.316 average, 4 HR, 8 RBI).
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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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