Yankees giving Jasson Dominguez chance to live up to his hype

Jasson Dominguez is finally about to get his chance to live up to his otherworldly fanfare.After teasing his talent as a September call-up in 2023 and then roughing it through an injury-riddled 2024, Dominguez is set to enter spring training as the Yankees’ presumed starting left fielder in a reshaped outfield alongside Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger.Dominguez’s arrival — one lasting longer than just a September cameo — has been long anticipated, and it has the chance to add a different element to the Yankees lineup if he plays up to his potential.“I’d like to see Dominguez get his shot,” general manager Brian Cashman said earlier this offseason.“Now, he’s young.

He’s got to earn it, and he’s got to retain it.”The 21-year-old Dominguez’s big league career to this point has been more stop-and-go than smooth sailing.But the switch-hitter offers the threat of power and athleticism and was mentioned by manager Aaron Boone earlier this week as a potential answer to the hole in the leadoff spot — a sign of what the club believes he is capable of.The Yankees acquired Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to bolster their lineup after missing out on Juan Soto in free agency, banking on their veteran bats to help make up for the big loss.

But a healthy Dominguez has an even higher ceiling for what he could add to the lineup if he is able to make adjustments against major league pitching — which proved to be a challenge late last year.Had Dominguez not torn his UCL in his first eight games as a big leaguer in 2023 — after homering in his first at-bat off future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander and slugging four homers before getting hurt — he may have gotten this chance from the beginning of last season.Instead, the Yankees went out and acquired Alex Verdugo to be a stopgap in left field with Judge slotting over in center field and Soto manning right.Dominguez got healthy and finished with his rehab assignment by June, but was optioned to Triple-A ...