Yankees Announce Jasson Dominguez Roster Move At Spring Training

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Troy Lippman | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 10:09 PM ET

The New York Yankees are heading into the 2026 season with World Series aspirations after falling short in the divisional series to the Toronto Blue Jays. Their outfield configuration has been a topic of conversation as spring training comes to a close with Jasson Dominguez looking to claim a bench role.

Dominguez is coming off a season in which he posted a .257 batting average, .331 on-base percentage, .719 OPS, 10 home runs and 47 RBIs across 123 games. Dominguez was a valuable bat against right-handed pitching, hitting a solid .274 with 9 home runs and 39 RBIs in 325 plate appearances.

On Friday, an update was provided from the Yankees on X regarding Dominguez's status for making the 26-man Opening Day roster. Unfortunately for Dominguez, New York decided to move him back to Triple-A rather than have him start the year at the big-league level.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Reassigned C Ali Sánchez, C Payton Henry and OF Kenedy Corona to minor league camp.
•Optioned RHP Kervin Castro, RHP Yerry de los Santos and OF Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) March 20, 2026

This development is especially disappointing considering Dominguez has hit .325 this spring with three home runs and two doubles in 45 plate appearances as the Yankees prioritize him getting everyday reps at Triple-A.

His defense was well-below average last season and he struggled against left-handers hitting .204 with one home run in limited action.

Dominguez made his MLB debut at just 20 years old late in the 2023 season hitting a memorable home run against All-Star pitcher Justin Verlander for his first major-league hit. Since then his playing time has been inconsistent.

He has also suffered injuries in his career, playing in just 18 games during the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2023 offseason and dealt with an oblique injury, hindering his development. He owns a career .248 batting average, 16 home runs, 58 RBIs and .724 OPS in 149 games.

New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez runs the bases.© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

With Dominguez being optioned to Triple-A, The Yankees will go with a starting outfield of Cody Bellinger in left field, Trent Grisham in center field and three-time MVP Aaron Judge in right field. This creates an opportunity for veteran Randal Grichuk to make the roster on the bench as a right-handed platoon to Grisham who struggled against lefties last season.

This creates questions as to Dominguez's role on the Yankees but he is still a young player with potential to develop into a starting caliber outfielder in the future. The Yankees are hoping he will benefit from consistent playing time at Triple-A and continue to make adjustments on defense and against left-handers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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