As Yankees fans begged for Jasson Domínguez over the last few days and weeks, they simultaneously called for Alex Verdugo’s job.
On Monday, however, the two shared a lineup and an outfield after the Yankees recalled Domínguez from Triple-A. In a narrative twist, both made an impact in the team’s 10-4 win over the Royals.
The Martian, batting sixth and playing center, scored a run in the fourth after stealing third base. The swipe led to a throwing error from Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, allowing Domínguez to dash home.
Verdugo, hitting ninth and manning left, then ripped a two-run homer to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
While both cracked Monday’s lineup with Giancarlo Stanton off and Aaron Judge DH’ing, the expectation is that Domínguez will spend some time in left field. That could mean fewer opportunities for Verdugo, the club’s everyday left fielder all season, but he’s taking that in stride.
“He’s gonna come up here. He’s gonna play. He’s gonna help this team win,” Verdugo said of Domínguez. “And whatever that means, that means. If I lose a little bit of playing time, I lose a little bit of playing time. At the end of the day, I want to win, and the only thing that matters is getting to the playoffs and winning there.”
Public demands for Domínguez overlapped with Verdugo’s persistent struggles, as he had a .579 OPS over 89 games from May 8 to Aug. 23. Throw in Verdugo’s selective hustle and the fact that he’s an impending free agent, and fans were more than ready for Domínguez, the Yankees’ top prospect.
However, the Yankees stood by Verdugo throughout his prolonged slump and expressed genuine faith in his ability despite his track record as a league-average hitter. That faith has been rewarded lately, as Verdugo woke up with a .333/.368/.463 slash line over his last 15 games after going 2-for-4 on Monday.
“He’s been having better at-bats, I feel like, over the last couple weeks. Big homer there to get us right back into it after we had been held down there,” Aaron Boone said. “This time of year, it’s about being a pro. And he gave us some professional at-bats tonight, for sure.”
When asked what’s been working for him lately, Verdugo said that he’s been “staying within myself,” more balanced and “just having my at-bats again.”
“I’m not trying to force the outcome and go up there first pitch and just get a knock,” he continued. “So we’re actually working the count and seeing pitches.”
It remains to be seen how often Verdugo will see pitches moving forward, as Boone said that Domínguez is “gonna play a lot.” Judge and Stanton obviously will too, leaving Verdugo and Trent Grisham as those who stand to lose the most playing time despite Boone’s mention that the team will “mix and match.”
Domínguez and Verdugo both said that the Yankees have not communicated how they’ll be used moving forward, but it sounds like the phenom is going to get plenty of runway before the playoffs.
“No, not yet,” Verdugo said of any playing time conversations, “but I’m sure we’ll find out shortly.”
