When discussing the organization’s top prospect, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Jasson Dominguez would play “a lot.”
Boone didn’t say Dominguez would play every day.
The Yankees are trying to find balance with Dominguez, Alex Verdugo and much of the outfielder/DH group, with Dominguez sitting Friday night for the second time in three games.
Verdugo started in left field against Boston right-hander Richard Fitts (who was inserted after right-hander Tanner Houck was pulled) and drew one of the biggest walks of the game. Verdugo played alongside Aaron Judge in center field and Juan Soto in right field, with Giancarlo Stanton as the designated hitter.
Boone said he expects Stanton to sit, Judge to be the designated hitter and Dominguez to play Saturday afternoon. He’s trying to make time for everyone, including Verdugo.
“I wanted to keep Dugie in the mix,” Boone said of Verdugo, who continued to show positive signs in the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Red Sox in the Bronx.
Since Dominguez was called up Monday, Verdugo and Dominguez have started three times each. What’s becoming clear is that Verdugo’s playing time is being reduced, but not eliminated.
After a tough June, July and August, Verdugo reached base safely in 10 games in September, batting .286.
Verdugo didn’t have a hit Friday but drew a key walk that started the Yankees’ rally in the seventh inning.
He lost 0-2 to Zack Kelly.
Verdugo fouled a throw and then faced four consecutive balls.
Three batters later, Judge hit the game-winning grand slam.
“He’s had some good at-bats here for a couple weeks now,” Boone said of Verdugo. [at-bat]at the time, especially before what Aaron did, was one of the biggest shots of this round.
Dominguez, a 21-year-old with huge potential but 12 career games played, is 2-for-10 with a walk, two singles and four strikeouts since being called up.
Dominguez is an ambidextrous hitter but much stronger on the left side.
“I just want the guys to keep playing, be active and keep the rhythm as much as possible,” Boone said of his juggling act.
DJ LeMahieu, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with a right hip contusion, received a cortisone injection Thursday, the Yankees said.
The team will wait a few days before reevaluating the infielder.
Clarke Schmidt, who allowed two runs (on a two-run home run by Masataka Yoshida) in 5 ²/₃ innings, is the third pitcher in Yankees history to allow three runs or fewer in each of his first 13 starts of a season.
Schmidt’s ERA is 2.41.
About an hour before first pitch, the Red Sox announced that Fitts would make his second career start because Houck was suffering from shoulder fatigue.
The right-hander, a sixth-round pick of the Yankees in 2021 who was included in the offseason trade that netted Verdugo, shut down the Yankees for five innings in which he allowed two hits and three walks.
Right-handed prospect Clayton Beeter, who returned last week from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since mid-May, was moved from Double-A Somerset to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Beeter had pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in two outings with Somerset.
