CLEVELAND \u2014 The Yankees began experimenting with Jasson Dom\u00ednguez in right field on Tuesday, sticking him there as he continued a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton\/Wilkes-Barre.<\/p>\n
Dom\u00ednguez, working his way back from an AC joint sprain, had only played one professional game in right field prior to that, and he\u2019s only played center and left in the majors. But with Aaron Judge on the injured list with a fractured rib<\/a> and Cody Bellinger playing elite defense in left field \u2014 the harder and more expansive corner spot at Yankee Stadium \u2014 the Bombers figured it wouldn\u2019t hurt to have the defensively-limited Dom\u00ednguez try right field.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reports yesterday are that he was very comfortable doing it, which is good,\u201d Aaron Boone said before the Yankees\u2019 series-sweeping, 8-4 win over the Guardians on Wednesday. \u201cSeems like it went off without a hitch. His pregame work was apparently good, too, and I think he was happy to do it to add to the different ways he can help us.\u201d<\/p>\n The manager added that Dom\u00ednguez was expected to play right again Wednesday night. He also said that Bellinger\u2019s standing as baseball\u2019s best defensive left fielder<\/a> is part of the Yankees\u2019 thinking in moving Dom\u00ednguez around yet again after his struggles adjusting to left field the last few years.<\/p>\n Dom\u00ednguez, whose development has been interrupted by numerous injuries, initially came up as a center fielder.<\/p>\n \u201cWe invested so much in switching Jasson to left field before last year to try and help with the transition, so we wanted him to really focus on that, but to be able to have the versatility is important,\u201d Boone said. \u201cSpencer [Jones] has done a good job of getting some real reps at both spots in the corners, as well as continuing to have center field in play, so it just adds to their overall value a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n With Jones currently on the big league squad and playing well over a small sample \u2014 he was recalled when Judge went on the IL last week and hit his first MLB homer on Tuesday<\/a> \u2014 Boone said \u201cwe\u2019ll see\u201d when asked if Dom\u00ednguez will be added to the active roster once his rehab assignment is over. He said the same thing when asked if Dom\u00ednguez could be in play on Friday when the Yankees begin a series against the Blue Jays in Toronto.<\/p>\n The Yankees are tentatively set to face Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman and Patrick Corbin \u2014 two reverse splits righties and a lefty \u2014 in Toronto, so the switch-hitting Dom\u00ednguez could take the place of the left-handed Jones.<\/p>\n Other options would be to demote struggling shortstop Anthony Volpe<\/a> or the versatile-but-seldom-used Max Schuemann, but having Dom\u00ednguez and Jones would give the Yankees a surplus of outfielders.<\/p>\n Speaking of Dom\u00ednguez\u2019s switch-hitting, The Martian went 3-for-3 with a home run while hitting entirely from the right side on Tuesday. His right-handed swing has been considered his weaker side throughout his career, but he woke up Wednesday with a 1.245 OPS against lefties in the minors this season.<\/p>\n He also has a 1.000 OPS against them over eight big league plate appearances this season.<\/p>\n Dom\u00ednguez hit .200 with a .617 OPS, one homer and four RBI over nine MLB games before injuring himself on a catch that forced him to crash into Yankee Stadium\u2019s left field<\/a> wall on May 7.<\/p>\n WEATHERING A SHORT BULLPEN<\/p>\n Following Wednesday\u2019s win, Boone said that starting pitcher Ryan Weathers was available for the Yankees\u2019 taxed bullpen. The two chatted about the possibility after Tuesday\u2019s game, and Boone had plans to use the lefty in the sixth inning.<\/p>\n However, Carlos Rod\u00f3n, Wednesday\u2019s starter, had an efficient nine-pitch inning in the fifth and was able to complete one more frame after that.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was ready for it and whatever we needed,\u201d Boone said, adding that Weathers will still make his next scheduled start in Toronto on Friday despite warming up mid-game.<\/p>\n LAGRANGE CHECKS A BOX<\/p>\n