New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday to treat a torn UCL he suffered on September 10, just nine days after he was called up to the big leagues. Dominguez appears to be recovering well but will not be able to appear on the field again for at least nine months.
The rookie outfielder, who batted .258 with four home runs in 31 at-bats during his brief stint, claimed that he was “bionic” in an Instagram post sent out shortly after his surgery. The accompanying photo is of him in his hospital bed. In the comments section, the Yankees wished him a speedy recovery.
Dominguez seemed to be in high spirits after the surgery, despite the disappointing circumstances in which his promising debut was cut short. Before being called up, the Dominican-born 20-year-old was one of New York’s top prospects and was swiftly delivering on those high hopes.
“It’s definitely very shocking news,” Domínguez said through an interpreter shortly after his injury. “You’re never expecting for this to be the result. Now understanding what happened, we have to look forward and go through it.”
The injury was one final pitfall for the Yankees in a season to forget. Far out of the playoff race at the beginning of the month, the team began calling up prospects like Dominguez and catcher Austin Wells to give them time to develop in the big leagues. Fellow rookie outfielder Estevan Florial replaced Dominguez after his injury.
With an increasingly stale roster that no longer seems capable of reaching the postseason as it once did on an annual basis, the Yankees’ future is dependent on players like Dominguez. In their early showings, many of these rookies have demonstrated plenty of potential, but as with much of the team’s season this year, things have not gone perfectly to plan.
With a 76-76 record and the season coming to an end, 2023 is more or less behind the Yankees, who will await the return of Dominguez and others for a renewed effort in 2024.
