NEW YORK – Jasson Dominguez is back in the Bronx.
On Monday afternoon, the Yankees recalled their highly regarded, switch-hitting outfield prospect from Class AAA Scranton/Wilke-Barre.
Dominguez "is going to play a lot,'' according to manager Aaron Boone, who spoke with reporters prior to the series opener against the Kansas City Royals.
To make roster room, the Yankees suddenly placed DJ LeMahieu on the injured list with a right hip impingement, retroactive to last Thursday.
The Yankees also activated veteran infielder Jon Berti from the IL (calf strain), who was about to take what little playing time LeMahieu had been receiving.
Late Sunday, the Yanks optioned speedy outfielder Duke Ellis to Triple-A, though Ellis’ base stealing ability makes him an option for any postseason roster.
Dominguez, 21, had been excelling at Triple-A, batting .321 with a .948 OPS in nine September games, and .309 with an .848 OPS overall in 44 games at that level with 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
Yankees Universe was vocal in its displeasure that Dominguez hadn’t been summoned when MLB rosters expanded on Sept. 1, with lefty-hitting Alex Verdugo among the league’s least productive left fielders since mid-June.
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On Friday at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, GM Brian Cashman said that Dominguez remained in the conversation for being recalled, but that there wasn’t a path for him to play.
“Jasson’s doing everything he needs to be doing right now,’’ Cashman said Friday. “And Verdugo’s playing better baseball recently.
“Right now, we’re staying pat with what we’ve got, but we’re always in a position to change our minds at some point too.’’
Dominguez was in the Yankees' lineup Monday night, playing center field and batting sixth, with Verdugo in left field, Juan Soto in right field and Aaron Judge serving as DH, with Giancarlo Stanton on the bench.
Speaking with reporters, including MLB.com, Boone said that Dominguez had "earned this opportunity'' by lately stringing together "some of his best baseball over the last couple of weeks.''
That opportunity is most likely to come at Verdugo's expense.
Boone said that Dominguez has “been knocking on that door since he came back, and now seemed like the time to bring him’’ to the Bronx.
Dominguez made a splash during his brief MLB debut last September, launching four home runs in eight games before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery to his right (throwing) elbow.
His rehab went as expected, but Dominguez was later delayed by a significant oblique strain suffered shortly after he resumed playing in minor league games.
LeMahieu could be lost for the remainder of the regular season, and his playing time was already extremely limited.
Batting .204 with a .527 OPS, LeMahieu did not play during the weekend series against the Cubs at Chicago, and his Yankee future is cloudy despite two guaranteed years left on his contract.
It's been another rough year for the veteran infielder and former two-time batting champ, who began the season on the IL due to a fracture in his right foot suffered by fouling off a ball in a spring training game.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The Martian is back: Yankees call up Jasson Dominguez, while DJ LeMahieu heads to IL
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