While the rest of his teammates got the day off after a nine-game, three-city road trip, Jasson Domínguez spent Thursday getting a CT scan on his left elbow.
As the Yankees awaited the results for a more definitive diagnosis after Domínguez was hit by a pitch in Wednesday’s loss to the Rangers and X-rays were “inconclusive,” they were forced to consider how they might fill the void if the young DH/outfielder has to miss time.
In the short term, they could activate Anthony Volpe from the injured list Friday to take Domínguez’s roster spot (as opposed to Max Schuemann if Domínguez does not need the IL).
But that would still leave an opening at designated hitter as long as Giancarlo Stanton remains on the injured list with a low-grade right calf strain.
The most likely scenario would involve Aaron Boone rotating Aaron Judge, Ben Rice or even Amed Rosario at DH, with Rice moving there against left-handers, allowing Paul Goldschmidt to start at first base.
If Judge slots in at DH, the Yankees could occasionally use José Caballero in a corner outfield spot.
The move that would send a buzz through the fanbase is calling up Spencer Jones, though that would only seem likely to happen if the Yankees found out that both Domínguez and Stanton were going to miss significant time.
Jones, added to the 40-man roster over the offseason, began Thursday batting .242 with a .902 OPS, seven home runs and 37 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
That 33.6 percent strikeout rate was down slightly from the last two years, but still not ideal.
Stanton, meanwhile, was hoping to get a better gauge for how long he might miss once he started moving around more during this upcoming homestand.
Carlos Rodón was scheduled to make a second rehab start Thursday night with Double-A Somerset, where he was expected to build his pitch count into the 70s.
The left-hander, coming back from October surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow and shave down a bone spur, will likely need at least one more rehab start after Thursday before he could rejoin the Yankees.
That should give Elmer Rodríguez a chance to make one or two more starts in the big leagues following his mixed-bag debut Wednesday against the Rangers.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
