Veteran manager Aaron Boone made two key decisions when the New York Yankees’ latest title chase began in March: Jasson Domínguez was his starting left fielder, but the former top prospect wouldn’t play every day.
In fairness, Boone had four outfielders for five spots and didn’t want to make Aaron Judge or Cody Bellinger a full-time DH in Giancarlo Stanton’s absence. Domínguez subsequently drew the short straw, and he’s started only 86 of the Yankees’ 105 games.
The result? Domínguez’s lack of consistent playing time could hurt him and the Yankees following Aaron Judge’s flexor strain.
Although the Yankees don’t believe Judge will be out long, the organization has a long history of downplaying injuries and outright getting timetables wrong. For all we know, Judge could return next week, or he could be out until mid-September. It’s hard to trust Boone’s optimism after eight seasons, and fans have every reason to be concerned about Judge’s injured list stint.
Theoretically speaking, Judge’s injury should mean Domínguez finally plays six or seven games a week. Domínguez entered Monday batting .254 with nine homers, 36 RBIs, and a .732 OPS. While he hasn’t tormented opposing pitchers in his first full season, he’s nonetheless a 22-year-old showing that he can handle the pressure of playing in New York.
Jasson Dominguez was FLYING around the bases last night pic.twitter.com/S0CYcHU7ct
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 10, 2025
One must wonder, though, if Boone’s hesitation in giving Domínguez a consistent spot in the lineup will come back and bite the Yankees.
Jasson Domínguez must step up in Aaron Judge’s absence
The Yankees are running out of time to end their summer swoon, and dropping two of three to the Phillies at home didn’t help. Domínguez and his teammates sit 5 ½ back in the AL East and are only a game out of third place. At least the Yankees also own a 1 ½ game lead over the Red Sox for first place in the Wild Card standings.
Still, that’s not where the Yankees should be with days until the July 31 deadline. We already saw the Yankees swing a trade for Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, and rumors persist about the club adding another bat in the coming days. Any further additions shouldn’t mean decreased playing time for Domínguez, and certainly not if the newest face is an infielder.
Domínguez has had a solid July, providing three homers, nine RBIs, and an above-average OPS through 16 games. One problem: the Yankees have played 21 games this month, and there’s no reason a healthy 22-year-old should miss nearly a fourth of his team’s games.
It’s time for Boone to put his complete faith in Domínguez, and the promising slugger must take advantage of any increased opportunities he gets. Otherwise, it doesn’t feel unrealistic to suggest the Yankees could miss the postseason for the second time in three years.