Yankees leave top prospect Jasson Dominguez off minor league rosters

The minor league season begins Tuesday, but Jasson Dominguez will have to wait a little longer to join one of the Yankees’ affiliated teams for the first time. The club’s top prospect will...

The minor league season begins Tuesday, but Jasson Dominguez will have to wait a little longer to join one of the Yankees’ affiliated teams for the first time.

The club’s top prospect will begin the season at extended spring training in Tampa, senior director of player development Kevin Reese confirmed Sunday.

Dominguez, the 18-year-old outfielder whom the Yankees signed out of the Dominican Republic for $5.1 million in July 2019, has yet to play a game of minor league baseball, though that hasn’t done much to temper the lofty expectations surrounding him. What would have been his first pro season last year got wiped out by COVID-19, though he did play in the instructional league in the Dominican Republic last year.

Among the other notable assignments for the Yankees’ four minor league rosters, which were announced Sunday: shortstop Oswald Peraza and pitcher Luis Medina to High-A Hudson Valley, catcher Austin Wells and infielder Anthony Volpe to Single-A Tampa and pitcher Luis Gil and outfielder Estevan Florial to Double-A Somerset.

With Gleyber Torres getting Sunday off, Gio Urshela made his second start of the season at shortstop in the Yankees’ 2-0 win over the Tigers. He didn’t get any action until the seventh inning, but fielded all three ground balls that came his way cleanly.

“I thought he was really strong,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He had three plays out there, handled them like I expect Gio to. He can pick up a grounder. That’s something that comes easy to him. … I don’t have any reservations about moving him over there for a game here and there when I’m giving [Torres] a rest.”

Boone opted to start Urshela at shortstop rather than Tyler Wade, citing Wade’s importance as a versatile option off the bench.

“I really value what Tyler brings at different points in the game, obviously from the speed game, when you can shoot him, obviously defensively with a lead he’s likely going to be in a game,” Boone said.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch finally heard some boos Sunday when he was introduced pregame. Before that, he had largely been spared the hostile reception that was anticipated entering the series — his first in The Bronx since being fired as manager of the Astros for their illegal sign-stealing scandal.

Giancarlo Stanton now has a nine-game hitting streak after ripping a 118.8 mph single up the middle in the first inning. … The Yankees tallied only three hits off Tigers starter Jose Ureña and reliever Gregory Soto, marking the first time they have won with three hits or fewer since Sept. 18, 2018.

— Additional reporting by Ken Davidoff

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Greg Joyce