The Martian returns: Yanks call up Domínguez for Little League Classic

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Believe it or not, Jasson Domínguez said that his otherworldly skills were not immediately apparent as a Little Leaguer; in fact, growing up in the Dominican Republic, the future “Martian” was not able to crack the lineup regularly until he turned 11 years old.

There is a parallel to be drawn as Domínguez rejoins the Yankees for Sunday’s Little League World Series Classic against the Tigers, where he will make his long-awaited return to ‘The Show.’ In his first big league game of the season, Domínguez will bat fifth as New York’s left fielder.

“Every time I come up here, it’s a blessing,” Domínguez said. “It’s an honor. I’m happy to be here to play this game, and I’m happy that I’m in the lineup today.”

Domínguez was promoted as the Yankees’ 27th man for Sunday’s jewel event, a rule usually reserved for doubleheaders. The Tigers activated outfielder Riley Greene as their 27th man.

“With the off-day tomorrow and [left-hander Tarik] Skubal going, I just felt like to get another right-handed bat in there and having the luxury of having the 27th man for this game, I felt like it made some sense,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I’m excited to have him here and hopefully he can help us out tonight.”

Boone said that the Yankees plan to return Domínguez to Triple-A after Sunday’s game, when the roster will revert to 26 players.

“He’s always an option,” Boone said. “The last week or so, he’s started swinging the bat better and gotten it going again. Hopefully he can continue to build on that, too, and continue to push himself into the conversation.”

The 21-year-old Domínguez has not appeared in the Majors since Sept. 9, 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament and subsequently suffering a left oblique strain in June with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

He had been swinging the bat well of late in Triple-A, going 7-for-17 (.412) with a homer and three RBIs in his past five games.

“I was slow a little bit when I came back from the oblique, but right now I feel really good,” Domínguez said.

Rated as MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 overall prospect, Domínguez has been viewed as a significant prospect for years. The Yankees inked Domínguez to a $5.1 million deal in 2019, when he was ranked as the top player in that year’s international signing class.

Domínguez reached the Majors as a 20-year-old when he was promoted on Sept. 1, 2023, homering on his first MLB swing against the Astros’ Justin Verlander at Minute Maid Park.

Five days later, Domínguez homered as part of a three-hit effort in his second game at Yankee Stadium. In his first eight games, Domínguez slugged .677 and homered four times, giving hope that he’d be an immediate fixture in New York's lineup.

“It helped my confidence that I can play at this level,” Domínguez said.

But Domínguez started feeling discomfort in his right elbow during his third game, which ultimately proved to be a torn UCL that required surgery. Originally expected to miss nine to 10 months, Domínguez saw his timeline pushed back due to his oblique injury.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs, but that’s baseball,” Domínguez said. “Sometimes you get injuries, sometimes you just struggle at the game, but you always find a way.”

It is expected that Domínguez will rejoin the Yanks no later than Sept. 1, when rosters expand to 28 players. As a member of the 40-man roster, he would also be eligible for postseason play.

“I don’t have any thought about that, really, because that’s a thing that I can’t control,” Domínguez said. “So it is what it is. I just focus on playing and doing my job. That part is not my job to do that. … I wish I had the answer for that question, but I really don’t.”