The Yankees are calling Jason Dominguez back to the big leagues, according to reporter Francis Romero. This will be made official before tomorrow’s match against Rangers.
Dominguez is already on the 40-man roster, and New York already has an opening on its 26-man roster from there. Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A after his start today. Calling up Dominguez in place of Gil, however, would leave the Bronx Bombers with only 12 pitchers on their active roster, so it seems likely that another pitcher will be called up tomorrow as the new arm of the bullpen.
Judging from the position player’s side, it’s possible that Dominguez’s return is related to the calf injury that was sidelined. Giancarlo Stanton in the last two games. Stanton left Friday’s game because of a strain in his right calf, and given the slugger’s long history of leg injuries, the Yankees could place Stanton on the 10-day injured list as at least a defensive measure.
All of Stanton’s 23 appearances this season have been as designated hitters, so if Stanton is headed to the IL, the Yankees now have the ability to rotate multiple players into the DH position. Dominguez could take some of those at-bats himself, or he could play in the outfield while there Aaron is the judge, Cody Bellingeror Trent Grisham they are given a half day off.
Dominguez exploded in the majors with four homers and a .258/.303/.677 slash line over 33 plate appearances while starting late in the 2023 season. It seemed as if “The Martian” was on his way to living up to the hype associated with his status as one of the best players in baseball, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in just eight games into the big leagues. TJ rehab and an oblique strain limited him to 58 minor league games and 18 MLB games in 2024, and Dominguez then hit .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs over 429 PA in New York in 2025.
It was a decent but underwhelming full season for Dominguez, as his offensive numbers translated to a 103 wRC+. He struck out 115 times in his 429 PA, however, he made a lot of contact but had trouble keeping the ball in the air. Dominguez’s biggest struggles came on defense, as he posted -7 Defensive Runs Saved and -9 Outs Above Average over his 793 innings in left field.
Dominguez lowered his strikeout rate to 15.2% over 99 Triple-A plate appearances this year, while hitting .306/.404/.471 with three homers in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Still, Dominguez has nothing left to prove to the minors at this point, as the question now is whether or not he can be a productive big player.
It’s certainly not too late for Dominguez given that he’s only 23 years old, but the crowded nature of the Yankees’ outfield and Stanton’s presence as a regular DH left the Martian without a 26-man spot on Opening Day. The fact that New York re-signed Bellinger last winter was another sign that the club still has doubts about giving Dominguez regular playing time in 2026.
