New York Yankees rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez has a lot of expectations around him this season. As the team’s top prospect, there is a lot of hope that he becomes a star as he continues to develop at the big league level.
Yankees have been taking a cautious approach with Jasson Dominguez
While they have seen flashes of what his bat can bring, his fielding has not been as promising. Moving over from his natural center field position to left field, Dominguez struggled out there during Spring Training, and it appears that the team is not taking any chances to begin the season.
Despite him doing a fine job in their first series of the season against the Brewers, the Yankees have subbed him out for Trent Grisham in the late innings of the two games that he started in the outfield. NJ.com’s Max Goodman reported that the defensive changes are a telling sign of how the Yankees feel about Dominguez.
“The Yankees pulled Jasson Dominguez out of the game in the late innings in favor of Trent Grisham in both of the two games where he started in left field,” Goodman reported. “…for them to summon Grisham in a three-run game to play defense in the eighth on Thursday, taking Domínguez’s bat out of the game when he was due up second in the following half inning, is telling.”
Dominguez has to make the Yankees comfortable playing him in the outfield
Dominguez has plenty of time to develop and hone his defensive skills, as he is just 22 years old. However, the Yankees are playing this season with a chip on their shoulder after losing in the World Series, and they are doing whatever it takes to win games at any cost.
As time goes on this season, the Yankees will likely grow more comfortable playing Dominguez in the outfield for the whole game, but as of now, they are taking a much slower approach with him. Whether or not this approach improves his defensive ability and his on-field confidence remains to be seen.
The Yankees begin a tough three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.