The Yankees’ grand comeback against the Brewers on Sunday was overshadowed by awful news.
Manager Aaron Boone reported after the 4-3 win that rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez has a torn right UCL. That usually means Tommy John surgery.
Boone added that recovery time from Tommy John for position players usually takes 9-10 months.
Dominguez, who debuted earlier this month at just 20 years old, was batting .258 with four home runs and seven RBI in just eight games. He later said he had been playing through the pain for nearly a week. And yet, he managed a two-run home run on Friday night.
This is certainly disappointing news for the Yankees, but not devastating. They know all too well about position players recovering from Tommy John surgery. Shortstop Didi Gregorius underwent it after the ALDS in 2018 and was back by June. Aaron Hicks had his even later in 2019 and was in the Opening Day lineup…in July 2020.
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And in a truly “There’s no effing way” case, Phillies slugger Bryce Harper played through a torn UCL in last year’s World Series, had surgery in late November, and was back by early May.
All this to say, Jasson Dominguez needing Tommy John surgery isn’t a death sentence for his career. It’s a minor setback in the bigger picture. Even better, the procedure hasn’t proven to adversely affect position players. Just ask Harper and his .294 batting average with 15 homers.
Instead, this just means the Yankees need to have a contingency plan for center field going into spring training. Perhaps this is Brian Cashman’s excuse to pursue Cody Bellinger in free agency. Or maybe another prospect, Everson Pereira, moves to center while Oswaldo Cabrera gets another chance in left?
The good news for the Yankees is that they don’t need to panic. Dominguez will be back at some point in 2024 and probably pick up right where he left off before his injury.
The bad news is that the Yankees, still last in the AL East at 71-72, just lost the man who finally sparked the lineup. And now, they have to try and make a run to the Wild Card without him.
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